


Dear Rabbit: I Know I'm A Wolf

by PharaohsThrone (Areumdawonhho)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Blood, Eventual Fluff, M/M, RWBY OCs, Violence, lots and lots of drama, vague smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2017-02-05
Packaged: 2018-06-10 15:37:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 78,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6962806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areumdawonhho/pseuds/PharaohsThrone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What started as a small undercover mission for Neamhni Leveret turns into a full-blown operation where he has to keep all eyes and ears on one Gray Buralo. Unfortunately for him though, RGNT aren’t the only ones pulling the strings, and he soon finds himself in the middle of Vale’s biggest conflict, right alongside the criminal whom he’s grown much too comfortable with.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The characters in this story belong solely to theasgardiandetective on tumblr. This was originally posted in parts on there, but has been put together to make chapters so they are a little longer. Hopefully it's a bit easier to follow on here for those who have fallen behind!

The response Neamhni got after explaining his… _encounter_ with Buralo, was not quite what he had expected.

The non-stop snickering from River-well, yeah, that he had expected, but the thoughtful look on Tarragon’s face…it gave him a feeling that he wasn’t going to like what came next. 

“Well done, Leveret,” she had said then, a somewhat mischievous smile on her face. “You’ve given us a new advantage.”

Neamhni rose an eyebrow, “I-what?”

Ten minutes later and he was staring at Buralo’s scrawled handwriting, sure that he would have the number memorized before he’d finished procrastinating. He’d made sure to retreat to somewhere where he couldn’t be overheard, and only hoped that this would only be limited to one meeting. He would only go so far for the sake of a mission. 

Finally, he managed to punch in the number.

_“Hello?_ _”_

The rough monotone voice sounded through the scroll, and Neamhni had to suppress the urge to hang up. 

“I don’t suppose you remember meeting a rabbit in a club a few nights ago?” he asked as a way of greeting.

 _“Ahh,_ _”_ Buralo sounded pleased, _“Don_ _’t you mean a Hare?_ _”_

_-_

Neamhni spied the bar on the corner, heard the muffled music echoing out into the street, and let out a sigh. He had no idea how this was going to turn out or if he was going to be successful at all, but at least he had a plan. If he got into trouble, Gum was only a few doors down as backup, but if all went well he wouldn’t need her. He walked past a group of people gathered outside; joking and laughing around a haze of cigarette smoke, and flicked his own into the trashcan before walking in.

The place wasn’t all that bad, and the choice of music was pleasant on his ears, so as he walked past a pool table surrounded by - were they triplets or clones? - Neamhni tried to think optimistically that if he could handle Buralo than the night might not end up all that bad.

Silver eyes moved their gaze from the bar top to the Faunus walking through the crowd. As the man spotted him and moved over, Buralo inclined his head, his mouth quirking up ever so slightly at the side.

“Didn’t get lost?” Burl asked as a way of greeting.

“It’s hard to miss this place,” Neamhni said as he sat down.

Buralo was watching him with a sort of relaxed interest. It was similar to how his gaze had fallen upon the Hare faunus back at the club. Neamhni shifted in his seat. “Care for a drink?” Buralo asked then, indicating to his own.

Yes, Neamhni definitely needed a drink. “Has that got a lot of alcohol in it?”

Buralo seemed amused, “It does.”

The man nodded in decision, “I’ll have one of them.”

Once the drink had been placed in front of him, Buralo had downed the rest of his and tilted his head to the side. “So, have you got a name, or am I gonna have to keep calling you ‘Dear Rabbit’?”

-

After a few hours had passed and many drinks had been consumed, Neamhni had found himself in the middle of a round of pool, trying to strategically line up his shot as well as figure out another way to get Buralo to talk. His fast thought processes were slowed down just a bit from the drinks he had had-don’t tell Tarragon-but he could still work his way through things. Unfortunately though, Buralo wasn’t one to divulge casual information like others Neamhni had encountered (as one would expect from a gang leader) so at this point he was running out of options - in both cases, in fact. It was just when he was about to take a shot he knew he would miss, when a voice appeared at his ear.

“Try aiming for the cushion, over there,” Buralo murmured from behind him, one hand guiding the queue in his hands while the other rested on his back. This wasn’t the first time Buralo had dared to bring in the proximity-hell he’d even done it at the club last week-but this time there was something about the way his breath ghosted over Neamhni’s skin that made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Hid mind was screaming _danger,_ despite the seemingly harmless way Buralo’s hand slid off his back as the man stepped back again, but he tried to clear his head as he moved to take the shot. _As long as he doesn_ _’t pick up on who I am and why I_ _’m here, there_ _’s no danger._

 _Clack_ , and the ball fell in the pocket. Neamhni stood up straight with a pleased look.

“And who said I didn’t give good advice,” Buralo commented lightly, as he rounded the table. There was a voice from the neighbouring table then, which was occupied by the three look-alikes.

“I could name a few,” the man said, taking a swig of his drink. Buralo lifted his eyes to the one who had spoken, but didn’t say anything. No other comments were made. 

Here was something that Neamhni could use. “You know them?” he asked. 

Buralo looked at the trio for a few more moments, before dropping his gaze back to the table. “Unfortunately.”

After the game of pool had been finished-Buralo won, of course-the wolf faunus had placed his cue away and leant against the wall right next to Neamhni. He could feel the man’s breath on his skin; he was that close-it smelt like rum.

The same relaxed interest was in his eyes from before, as he looked the man up and down for a short moment. “What do you say we get out of here?” he murmured.

There it was - his pre-planned moment to escape. Neamhni had arrived here knowing that when this moment came he was supposed to worm his way out of the offer, not completely rejecting Buralo but cancelling out the need to commit further right at that second. Then he was to report back to his team, tell them everything he’d found out, and they would go from there.

There was just one problem, however. What had Neamhni found out?

Practically nothing.

He’d inconspicuously coaxed information from people before, had done it numerous times, but those people were all average citizens who were merely connected to his target. 

This time he was with Gray Buralo, a gang leader who was suspected to be connected to their newest and biggest foe. But they had no proof. They had no idea if he really was a part of this all, and if so, what his part in it was. They had almost _nothing,_ and so Neamhni’s mission tonight had been to at least find out _something._

And all he’d found out was that Buralo was somewhat acquainted to the triplets in the corner. Sure, it was something to start with, but there was no way he could go back to his team with just that, after spending hours with this man. No, he couldn’t do that. He was better than that.

And so that was why, instead of going with the plan, he raised his eyes from the drink in his hand to the silver ones looking back at him. “Alright.”

-

Buralo’s apartment sat on the corner of a small street, in the back end of Vale. It was a place Neamhni didn’t visit much, but it made sense that the man lived in this part of town. The houses were closer together and the rates were cheap; mainly because if there were ever a Grimm invasion, this place would be hit first, being right on the edge of the kingdom.

As they ascended the stairs to the second level, Neamhni felt at least a little more accomplished: he now knew where Buralo lived. Once his team knew about this location, they could keep a closer eye on the man. Neamhni smiled to himself; he was already doing better with his decision to keep this up.

The first thing Buralo did upon walking into the apartment was go straight out to the balcony and light up a cigarette. Having absolutely no complaints with that, Neamhni walked out to join him. They actually had a decent conversation while they were out there, though the view was limited. All they could see was the dense line of trees out the back of the block, and the buildings around them. Neamhni was surprisingly relaxed when the conversation turned to the point where he’d have to start lying.

“So how’d you end up working at Lola’s?” he asked, referring to the club where they had met a week ago as he leant against the railing. “I’m sure it wasn’t just the ears,” he added with a smirk.

Neamhni let out a single breath of a laugh as he leant against the wall by the door. “That was just convenient.”

“And you don’t dance?” Buralo asked then, as a single eyebrow rose. Neamhni shook his head. “I’m sure you’ve danced at least once,” he teased.

Neamhni raised his eyebrows, “At least?”

“Oh yeah,” Buralo replied, his eyes alight with mischief.

Neamhni saw that mischief, how Buralo was casually watching him with keen interest, limbs relaxed but eyes alight. It made him want to add fuel to the fire.

“And what if I have?” he asked.

“Hmm,” those eyes were forever trained on him now. Buralo finished off his cigarette and flicked it into the ashtray in the corner as he pushed off the railing. “If you have,” he said, walking over to stand in front of the man, “Would you dance for me?”

“Oooh,” Neamhni took a puff of his cigarette, “I’m afraid I left my corset at home.”

He saw the spark in Buralo’s eyes then just before the man replied, “Well I guess we could skip the dancing,” he suggested, before reaching out and grabbing hold of Neamhni’s chin as he had done last week, pulling him forwards. “There may have been a no touching rule in the club, but here however…”

Buralo had a hand on Neamhni’s hip, curling around the belt loop of his jeans as the other traced under his chin. Those eyes were watching him, almost as if he was actually waiting for an answer. Neamhni let out a well-needed breath, and a puff of smoke came with it. Buralo just breathed it in.

Neamhni could handle this. It wasn’t like Buralo wasn’t pleasant to look at, and he still wasn’t finished with his mission. It may have just been the drinks talking, giving him more confidence than usual, but honestly, was that really such a bad thing? Yeah, he could handle this. His lips turned up at the side, and that was all the other man needed. Buralo pulled him the rest of the way forwards.


	2. Chapter 2

Kissing Buralo was like nothing Neamhni had experienced before. They were now against the wall beside the door, the cool night air whipping past them as they tangled together. The kiss itself was fine-Buralo obviously knew what he was doing, lips and tongue moving like he’d done this a thousand times before; like he knew each way to draw out heavy breaths and stifled moans.

That wasn’t what had Neamhni’s pulse hammering, though. It was the man himself, the knowledge that he was a high-end criminal, a masterful fighter, and a deadly foe to have. That’s exactly what he was: Neamhni’s enemy, and here they were locking lips on the balcony of his flat. It was like being gently coaxed into the lair of-well, a wolf-and waiting for the moment it attacked. Waiting for the moment when the tables turned, when his cover was blown, when Neamhni’s position went from being an advantage to an immediate danger.

He wasn’t struck with fear though - it was _adrenaline._ Excitement. The knowledge that every moment Neamhni spent with Buralo was one step closer to his goal, as well as one inch deeper into the mess that could possibly explode in his face should this fail.

But he wasn’t going to fail. He took the challenge in stride, lifting a hand to tangle in the dark hair at the back of the man’s neck, as Buralo’s hands stayed fastened at his hips.

He could taste the rum on Buralo’s tongue, smell the last of the smoke in the air, but he was focused on what came next. How could he get more information out of this guy before the night ended? His mind wasn’t coming up with many answers though as he felt hot breath dance over his skin, and then lips fastened on his neck.

A heavy breath fell from Neamhni’s lips as his head tilted, the sensations striking down his side. He could admit this was…nice. His thoughts began conflicting with themselves - but he was on a mission; he was supposed to be getting information.

Wasn’t this a part of it, though? He couldn’t play the part without giving in to at least some of Buralo’s advances. It was all part of the game, and there was nothing wrong with enjoying himself just a little.

And enjoy he did, as those lips ran across skin that was then pulled between teeth. For added effect, Neamhni bunched a hand in the back of Buralo’s shirt, an outward expression of just how much he was enjoying himself.

He felt the smirk on the man’s lips then, and just before Buralo moved back up to lock lips again, a loud sound cut between them.

It was Neamhni’s scroll.

They stared at each other for a moment, neither of them moving, until the Hare faunus decided to reach for his pocket. He pulled his scroll out and looked at who was calling him. _Shit._ He looked back to Buralo.

“Sorry, I should probably take this.”

Only looking slightly agitated at the interruption, Buralo let him go. “Go ahead.” Neamhni waited until he’d disappeared all the way inside and out of ear shot, before answering; making sure his breathing was even again.

“What is it?”

 _“I figured you must have been either dead or half way through fucking him if you_ _’re taking this long,_ _”_ Gum’s voice sounded from the other end.

Neamhni raised a hand to rub at his temple. He should have known this would happen.

-

“That’s it?”

Neamhni snapped back to the conversation. He was back with his team feeling incredibly tired and probably halfway sober by now. He already had a headache just from explaining everything.

“Yes, that’s it. We got back to his place and then Gum called me,” he said, gesturing to her. He’d left out a few things, but none of that was important; all they cared about was the info that he’d found out. “That’s all I got.”

Tarragon tapped her fingers on the table a few times, “Well, it’s good you found out where he lives, that gives us something more to work with.” She looked back down at the notes she had taken, “And those twins-“

“Triplets,” Neamhni corrected. “Or clones, you never know.”

“Right, triplets. How did Buralo know them?” Tarragon asked.

Neamhni shook his head, “I don’t know, he wouldn’t say. But one of them was brave enough to make a smart comment so I doubt they’re just mere acquaintances.”

Tarragon nodded, “Alright, we can work with that. Good work Leveret.” Tarragon dismissed him, and just as he stood up, River was beside him, nudging him with an elbow.

“Come on, you can’t have spent hours with the guy and not done anything. What really happened?” he murmured as they walked out.

Neamhni considered his answer, “He asked me to dance for him,” he offered up. River laughed, picking up on how it must have been some sort of reference to Lola’s.

“And did you?” he asked slyly. 

Neamhni cracked a smile as he raised his hands, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I left my corset at home.”

-

The next morning, Neamhni found himself sitting at a cafe in the middle of Vale. He’d let himself sleep in for a while-he deserved it after last night-and even after he’d dragged himself all the way out here for his morning coffee, he still hadn’t had a cigarette. Which he was fixing right now. After pulling one out and placing it between his lips, he began searching his pockets for his lighter- only he couldn’t remember which pocket he had left it in.

He’d checked each pocket twice before a hand appeared in front of him, holding what he’d been looking for, lighting up his cigarette. Neamhni blinked. That was definitely _his_ lighter. He looked up.

Buralo was standing next to him, a smug smile on his face as he placed the lighter on the table in front of him. “Found it this morning,” he said.

It must have fallen out of his pocket last night, and Neamhni could take a pretty good guess at when. “Thanks,” he said, holding his newly lit cigarette to the side as he took a sip of his coffee. He then pocketed the lighter, and Buralo took it upon himself to take a seat opposite the man.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed that last was cut short,” he commented, pulling out his own box of smokes. 

Neamhni put his coffee down. He should have known that he’d be doing Huntsman work even when he was off the job. He also knew that his interactions with Buralo couldn’t end here. Tarragon had been right; he had a huge advantage here. If he played this right, he could get some major dirt on this guy. And all he had to do was play along with the game. It wasn’t like Neamhni was going to grow attached to him or anything, that didn’t happen often - and especially not with criminals.

“That makes two of us,” he replied, lifting his eyes to silver.

-

“Neamhni!” River called out to him the minute the man came into view.

Walking over, the Faunus raised an eyebrow, “What’s up?”

River was grinning, “Got some info about those triplets you mentioned,” he said, pulling out his scroll. “There’s a lot of gang activity happening around the outskirts of Vale-around about where you said Buralo lives. So I did a bit of research and…“ he opened the picture he was looking for, “Bam.”

Neamhni looked at the screen, he could see the trio - they were so identical it was hard to miss three lookalikes, even in a picture as blurry and pixelated as this one. Then, in front of them, he could see another man; the furry ears on top of his head looking almost unmistakably like Buralo’s.

A sound of understanding passed through his lips, “They’re his underlings.”

“You bet they are,” River said. “Though that doesn’t get us any closer to knowing if he’s connected to Mr Boogeyman.”

Neamhni raised an eyebrow, “Remind me again why you’re calling him that?”

River shrugged, “It just seemed to fit.”

- 

As the weeks passed, Neamhni continued his meetings with Buralo, trying new and different ways to get the information he needed. It usually involved consuming at least a little alcohol so he had the ability to keep up with Buralo’s flirting, and he’d gotten confident enough to know how to play his cards right when it came to intimacy. 

Buralo thought he was playing hard-to-get, and Neamhni could tell he was enjoying the game. As a matter of fact, Neamhni would probably be lying if he said he wasn’t enjoying the game, either. It was true, he was an adrenaline junkie at heart, and every time he saw a glimpse of the danger that Buralo posed, it was only a motivator to keep going. 

To be completely honest, Neamhni was content with how things were at the moment. Tarragon had agreed that he could continue hanging around Buralo as a means of keeping an eye on him, and so now work didn’t quite feel like work. Buralo was challenging and audacious and exciting, and quite the good kisser, so really, what was bad with this situation? 

 _Absolutely nothing,_ Neamhni thought as he walked into the bar like he did every Friday night now, nodding to the triplets in the corner. He saw Buralo by one of the pool tables, shrugging his jacket off. “Up for a game?” The wolf Faunus asked upon seeing him.

Neamhni smirked, “You’re on.”


	3. Chapter 3

It took Neamhni a few minutes to realise he wasn’t in his own bed. He could feel the sunlight shining on his eyelids as he rolled over, and he usually made sure his curtains were shut tight to avoid that. He hadn’t been awake enough at that point to think much of it, but a few minutes later when he’d shifted again, his arm bumped into something. Something flesh-like.

A person. 

He opened his eyes. He saw it, then; the soft furry wolf ears on the pillow beside him. There was only a moment of confusion and slight surprise, before it all came back to him. _Oh._  

The previous night had been more on the wild side. The two Faunus’ had hit up a club in the southern part of Vale, where drinks and dancing had turned into sensual touches and half lidded eyes, which had then turned into…something else.

 _Neamhni_ _’s back hit the wall with a thud, right before he felt the heat of those lips on his neck. A heavy breath fell from his own lips, as he grabbed hold of whatever he could to keep himself standing, which happened to be Buralo_ _’s hips. He was already ridiculously worked up after the constant teasing from the whole night, but he could tell that Buralo was, too. It made him feel just a little smug._

 _The sensations coursing down his side paused as the man pulled back to grab hold of Neamhni_ _’s shirt and rip it over his head. As it hit the floor, Buralo gave him a slightly skeptical look,_ _“Am I gonna have to do all the work, rabbit boy?_ _” he teased._

 _Neamhni narrowed his eyes,_ _“I told you,_ _” he replied, putting his hands on firm biceps and pushing Buralo backwards, so that he stumbled back onto the bed._ _“I_ _’m a hare._ _”_

 _A new fire was lit in those eyes as Buralo looked up at him, and as soon as the man was in reach, he dragged Neamhni down with him, a challenge in his eyes._ _“Then why don_ _’t you show me what a hare can do?_ _”_

Oh, he’d met that challenge head on. He could remember it all - the heavy breaths, the stifled moans, and the divine high it had given him. This man still screamed danger in every possible way and Neamhni couldn’t get enough of it. He kept him on his toes, with that sharp tongue and cool wit, and wandering eyes; and he was no disappointment in bed, either.

He could remember a hand tracing its way down his back, over the lines of his tattoo, as Buralo murmured above him, _“I didn_ _’t see you as the inked type._ _”_

Neamhni hadn’t been able to help himself then, _“There_ _’s a lot of things you haven_ _’t seen._ _”_

And then, when they’d finally reached the end game, among all of the sensations he distinctly recalled there’d been hands on his hips, and a breathless voice at his ear, _“Say my name._ _”_

His head had been buried in the pillow, _“Gray._ _”_

Neamhni opened his eyes again. He’d never seen the man look as peaceful as he did now. The lines of his face that were usually pulled into some sort of smug look were now relaxed.

Those eyes then opened, lazy amusement swimming in their depths. They took in the form lying beside him, from the hare ears on top of his head, to the curve of a hip that disappeared under the sheets. Gray’s voice was husky and deep as his smug smile returned, “Mornin’, sunshine.”

-

Unsurprisingly, Neamhni had been kicked out of the apartment about an hour after they’d woken up. Gray apparently had something to do, and turned Neamhni’s ‘curious’ questions into smart remarks. Annoyed that he’d been rebutted again when trying to get information, Neamhni had camped out around the corner, waiting for Gray to leave. He’d been messaging River on his scroll.

Because of his situation with Gray, he wasn’t actually allowed to be the one to snoop around outside of when they were together, so he had to leave this to River and Gum. He saw the man leaving the apartment, and sent his next message.

 _‘Buralo_ _’s on the move, headed south down Aster Road._  

Once he’d received a reply from River, saying he was good to head back home, he turned and strolled back down the street. He only had a very small nagging feeling in the back of his head.

- 

“Alright, now you can’t tell me,” River was grinning at him from over the kitchen bench, “That there was any other reason why you were at his place so early this morning.” 

Neamhni had raised an eyebrow, throwing the hand towel he’d been holding into the sink, “Early? It was almost 11 am!”

“But,” River raised a finger as he looked at his friend with sly eyes, “You wouldn’t have just been there for an hour, and then left. I know you.”

Neamhni gave him a look, his voice deadpan, “Really?”

River looked to the side, giving in. “I may have asked Pam if she saw you come home last night…”

The Faunus rolled his eyes. Pam was his neighbour - a sweet old lady, but also incredibly nosy. Just like someone else he knew…

River was raising his eyebrows at him. “So…” he was grinning again.

Neamhni knew what that look meant, “I swear to god, River-“ 

“Did the Wolf have a good package?”

 _“Get out._ _”_

-

Gray was throwing a shirt over his head as he walked into the room, the morning sun hitting his scars and making them shine. Neamhni had seen them all now-he had quite a few it seemed-and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little curious about them; though he could probably take a good guess on how the man got them.

The hare faunus was still sprawled on the bed, having not decided to get up yet. He pushed himself up onto an elbow, “I’d ask if you slept well, but…” his shrug and sly smile gave away the rest of the sentence - _we didn_ _’t do much sleeping._  

Gray let out a breath of a laugh, “You’re oddly cheery this morning.” After the amount of time he’d spent with the man, he’d gotten used to the grump that Neamhni usually was. Right now though, he just looked content.

“Maybe I just had a good night,” the hare faunus replied with a shrug. He then remembered the information River and Gum had gotten for him. “Speaking of, are you free this evening?”

Gray’s eyes casually ran over the faunus on the bed, as if admiring something that belonged to him. “Ohh, I wish I was,” he said then, thinking of all the things he’d love to do with his evening, and the man in front of him.

“I have plans tonight though, dear rabbit,” he finished his sentence with a smug look accompanied by a wink, and Neamhni rolled his eyes as Gray walked out of the room again. He decided he may as well get up then, and he thought of how to break that wall down as he found his clothes.

It had taken some of Neamhni’s best convincing, but Gray had eventually agreed to let him tag along to his ‘plans’. He had a fairly good idea of what it would entail, but as far as Gray knew he was still mostly in the dark. Perhaps he didn’t expect this particular meeting to get messy.

It was as they were walking south through the streets of Vale, the sun having disappeared over an hour ago, that Neamhni’s scroll started buzzing in his pocket. It was River.

“You go ahead, I’ll catch up,” he said to Gray, as he stopped to answer it. Gray nodded, and walked ahead. “You have impeccable timing, you know,” he said into his scroll.

 _“Don_ _’t tell me you_ _’re not wearing any pants right now,_ _”_ River replied, as if guessing he’d interrupted something. Neamhni snorted at that - as if he’d actually stop to answer his scroll in that situation. _Sure._ River kept talking, _“Where are you?_ _”_

“I’m with G-“ he stopped quickly to correct himself, “Buralo.” 

 _”I thought you said he was ditching you tonight cause he was_ _…”_ and there was the moment when River understood what was going on. He sighed audibly, _“Neamhni, what are you doing?_ _”_

“I’m doing my job and getting information,” he said. “If anyone has a problem with that, they can come find me.”  
 _  
“Neamhni, we_ _’re not supposed to get involved with whatever gang wars are going on in Vale, you know that._ _”_

The faunus was growing frustrated, “Yeah, but have you considered that Mr Boogeyman could show up to any of these?” The funny nickname sounded ridiculous coming from him, but he had no other way to refer to their foe. River didn’t seem to have anything to say to that. “Didn’t think so. I’ll let you know if he shows up.” 

 _“Neamhni, don_ _’t be an idiot-_ _“_

He hung up. That conversation had been taking too long, anyway. 

Gray had been waiting on a street corner a few blocks ahead, and when Neamhni caught up to him, they made their way inside an old warehouse, rusted machinery lying abandoned inside. He saw the triplets gathered in the corner, and Gray gave them a confused look as he and Neamhni approached.

“Where is everyone?” he asked them.

Unum pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning on, “No clue, we were hoping you knew.”

“ _Shit,_ ” Gray suddenly turned to Neamhni, “You need to leave.”

The hare faunus raised his eyebrows, “What, already?”

Gray’s change in demeanour had been evident from a mile away, from his usual cool self to the way he was now - on edge. “Yes, already.”

Neamhni could tell that something was wrong, that Gray must have been expecting some sort of ambush. He knew that he was being told to leave because he wasn’t supposed to be a part of it, but he also knew that he could hold his own.

Gray narrowed his eyes, “ _Go._ ”

It was a split second later that something whistled through the air and sunk into the wall right beside Duos. A knife.

 _Too late,_ Neamhni thought to himself, and suddenly the warehouse exploded with commotion. The Tenebris brothers launched themselves at the oncoming enemies, swinging pistols out of their belts, while Gray held back, reaching for his pocket.

“Neamhni, I told you to-“

In the moment Gray had turned back to talk to the man, a figure had loomed up in front of him, moving with lightning speed. Neamhni was there in the next second, catching him by surprise and using his momentum to send the guy sprawling onto the floor. After a swift kick to the head, he was knocked out. Neamhni turned back to Gray for only a moment, and offered nothing but his own version of that smug smile and a wink, before jumping into the chaos just ahead of them.

Gray shook his head, his lips tugging up at the sides, before following after the other faunus. _I_ _’m too old for this shit._

As Neamhni began to engage their new enemies, he thought to himself that he was glad he hadn’t brought Umbra Bolt; otherwise he would be too tempted to use it. A weapon that advanced among a battle of pistols and knives would probably give the impression of a huge red flag that said ‘Huntsman’.

True, the pistols that the trio had were quite impressive, and Neamhni was interested in them, but he still knew where the line was with his identity, and he was on the edge of it.

He had a stupid grin on his face as he sent one of the attackers flying into the wall, before he was aware of someone coming up behind him. He ducked the swing of a knife intended to slice through his neck, before spinning and kicking at the side of the man’s knee, hard. He heard the crack and howl of pain right before a figure appeared and delivered the finishing blow-it was Gray, punching him in the side of the head.

What made it that extra bit painful though was the object shining on top of his fists-knuckle dusters. Neamhni should have known.

He’d only been looking at Gray for a moment, but he saw movement behind him.

“Look ou-“ But Gray had already spun around, and held up his fists. The man approaching him may have had time to laugh at what appeared to be Gray’s pathetic excuse to defend himself if he hadn’t been stopped dead in his tracks. The knife that had been aimed at his face was halted between long blades of steel-almost like claws-that came out of the top of the knuckle dusters. 

Gray was smirking. He had one fist up, where the claws held the knife, and Neamhni could see the man in front of him had gone incredibly pale, and he could see why; Gray’s other fist had driven into his stomach.

Neamhi watched as Gray twisted his hand, the face in front of him turning to one of complete agony. “Ooh,” Gray murmured, still smirking, “That’s gotta hurt.”

Just as Gray pulled his fist back, those blades now dark with blood, Neamhni heard the unmistakable sound of a dust round being fired. Unum was already jumping in front of Gray, his pistols joined to create a shield, and Neamhni jumped into a flurry of back handsprings as he escaped the line of explosive fire that shot out towards them. When he landed in a crouch, he set his eyes on the one who had the dust - no doubt they were behind the robbery that happened last week, he thought.

Now that he had some distance from the chaos, he chose this moment to use his semblance - there were plenty of shadows around for him, and his eyes were set on the dust user.

Gray had just slammed someone into the wall when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He turned his head just in time to see a barrage of shadows in the shape of horses charge into the man who had fired the dust. The force was enough to send him flying into the wall, and then he was on the ground, out cold. He turned and saw Neamhni, kneeling on the ground. What had surprised Gray the most was that the dust user had been pointing his next round right at him.

Contrary to what he had originally thought - Neamhni seemed to be incredibly useful in a fight. He wondered how the man had come to be that skilled.

Thankfully, there were only a few of their enemies still standing, and while Gray took care of the two closest to him, he saw Neamhni grab the other by the collar-having already disarmed him-and slam him into the wall, demanding that he start talking.

Gray turned as he retracted his claws, trying to catch his breath. What was Neamhni doing?

It took him a few moments to piece together everything in his head that hadn’t added up since the beginning, but when the vibe coming from Neamhni hit recognition in him, he almost laughed at himself in disbelief. _He looks like a cop._

The man Neamhni held suddenly turned his gaze to Gray, completely ignoring the question the hare faunus had just asked him. “What’s this Gray, your new toy?” he taunted. 

“Shut up,” Neamhni spat, harshly shoving him back again so that his head hit the wall with an unpleasant sound. He then saw the look Gray was giving him. “…What?”

Gray was shaking his head, his breathing harsh - he looked disappointed. “You’re a huntsman,” he said. It wasn’t a question. 

Just as Neamhni’s eyes widened in surprise, he saw Gray pull a pistol from his belt, and aim it right at his head.

 


	4. Chapter 4

Neamhni was frozen. His hand was still grasping the collar of the man against the wall, but his eyes were on the gun. Gray’s gaze was empty. There was no sign of any kind of emotion - no surprise, no disappointment, no anger.

He’d been so confident all those weeks ago that Gray would never find out who he really was. He’d been too caught up in the game, too focused on the mission that had so easily bled out into his everyday life. Their situation had just been too perfect to consider anything else occurring, but here it was staring him right in the face.

And what a real shame, too. The way that Gray had sliced at their enemies with his claws, taking them down one by one with a deadly smirk on his face had given Neamhni that same feeling that had interested him from the start.

Gray Buralo was a god damn dangerous threat to him. And even now, when he faced that danger head on, down the barrel of a gun, he still got that same feeling. How stupid.

Gray pulled the trigger.

Blood spattered on the wall beside Neamhni, as the man he’d been holding went limp. He stared at the bullet wound with wide eyes, before letting him go. The body slid to the floor. He turned back to Gray, a million questions on the edge of his tongue, but he saw that the wolf faunus appeared just as bewildered as he was.

Lowering the gun, Gray stared at him for a few more moments in disbelief, before talking to the trio who had approached behind him. “Let’s go. We’re done here.”

-

For the next couple of weeks, Neamhni had been a bit unsure of what to do. He’d had to explain what happened to his team, and he received a bit of lip about it from Tarragon, which was probably well deserved, he figured. River was also grumpy at him for a few days for doing the complete opposite to what he had said, but Neamhni knew that he would come around eventually.

Other than that, mostly he was confused. He’d assumed that since he’d blown the mission, that there would be some sort of repercussions from Gray’s side. Heck, he barely even understood why the man hadn’t shot him back in the warehouse. If he’d been pissed enough to draw a gun on him, why had he changed his mind at the last minute?

But then again, as Neamhni reminded himself - Gray Buralo was a dangerous, unpredictable criminal. He could have any sort of reason for what he did, and Neamhni assumed he’d never know what that was.

That would have been all well and good, only there was a part of him that couldn’t just sit and accept that. He wanted answers, and anyone who knew Neamhni wouldn’t have been surprised that he went after that adrenaline inducing danger.

The apartment block looked as it always did, red brick stained a dark grey after years of standing in the relentless weather. Neamhni climbed the stairs to the second level, and knocked on the door. If he recalled right, Gray was always home on Monday nights - either watching tv after ordering pizza or fiddling around on his bass guitar. Neamhni had watched him play a few times; had always envied the smooth way his fingers could slide across the fretboard with ease.

The door opened. Gray stood there, with nothing but a pair of jeans on him, and a cigarette between his lips. He blew out a puff of smoke before addressing the faunus in front of him, as if he were a stranger. “What do you want?”

Neamhni met that cool stare with a stubborn one of his own. “I have a few questions for you.”

“Hmm,” Gray pretended to consider Neamhni’s request, as he turned to look behind him, the door opening just enough for Neamhni to see he had company - another shirtless man. He turned back to the hare faunus, “Yeah, kinda busy right now. Try a day that doesn’t end in Y.”

Gray moved to close the door on him, but Neamhni shoved his foot in the way just in time. That stare turned cold as Gray looked back at the man.

“I said,” Neamhni reiterated, “I have a few questions for you.”

Gray stared him down for a moment. Now knowing that Neamhni was a huntsman, he assumed the man wasn’t one to back down from intimidation. He was also familiar with Neamhni’s stubbornness, so Gray made an audible sound of complaint, but stepped outside nonetheless, and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it as he folded his arms. “You know you were just a good fuck, right?" 

Neamhni wanted to roll his eyes, “I wasn’t going to ask about that, though thanks for the compliment.”

Gray’s lips turned up in an obviously forced smile, it didn’t get anywhere near to reaching his eyes. “You have two minutes.”

Neamhni didn’t waste any time, “What was that back at the warehouse?”

Gray’s gaze stayed cool, “What was what back at the warehouse?”

Neamhni simply looked at him for a few moments, trying to decode that expression, trying to see what was underneath. “You were going to shoot me,” he said.

Recognition hit Gray’s eyes. As much as he wanted to shift his stance, to look away, to do _something_ to avoid that gaze, he couldn’t. He could remember the moment well; the shadows in the corners that Neamhni could have used to protect himself, the man he was holding onto who could have been used as a distraction. There were endless possibilities to how that could have turned out. He could only murmur a response. “You were going to let me.”

Neamhni blinked in confusion, like that was the last thing he had expected Gray to say. “Why didn’t you?” he asked then.

Gray decided he wanted to ask his own question, “Why’d you call me?”

Neamhni blinked again, having been thrown off for the second time in the space of a minute. “What?”

Gray repeated the question, “After I gave you my number, why did you call me?”

Neamhni looked slightly uncomfortable. He glanced to the side, shifting his feet, “I-well, I was told to,” he said reluctantly.

“By who?” 

Neamhni couldn’t seem to understand why Gray was asking him this. “My team-“ He shook his head in frustration, “Look, I’m the one asking questions here, alright?”

Gray lifted his shoulders, “That’s not very fair, is it?”

Neamhni let out an exasperated huff, but didn’t say anything. He’d almost forgotten how well Gray could get under his skin sometimes.

“So, you were under orders to spend time with me, I can assume,” Gray continued, lifting his cigarette to take a long inhale. Neamhni looked to the side, his jaw becoming tense. “What’d you learn?”

Neamhni wasn’t looking at him now, “That you’re an insufferable man,” he said, watching the smoke float around them as Gray exhaled.

The wolf faunus did smile then, though it was more of a smirk, “I beg to differ,” he said. “I did get you into bed, after all.”

Yes, Neamhni could remember that very clearly as well. Gray was a very… _generous_ lover. He would make sure his partner hit the pinnacle of pleasure before he would be satisfied, simply because doing such a feat furthered his own. He was very proud of this fact. Neamhni could see that smug smile on his face again, as he avoided the cool silver gaze. He was the kind of man who just shoot you a look and you’d know that it meant, ‘ _I rock your world._ _’_

“Why _did_ you sleep with me?” Gray asked then, knowing that even if Neamhni’s team asked him to spend time with the man, they wouldn’t have asked him to do _that._

“I…” Neamhni set his jaw, and finally looked back at him, “Because I wanted to,” he said, as if stating a fact.

Gray narrowed his eyes just a fraction. _Why isn_ _’t he lying?_ He let out a somewhat satisfied breath of air, “Fair enough, I wouldn’t be able to say no to me, either.”

Neamhni had barely noticed that the conversation had been flipped, that he was no longer the one asking questions. Gray’s demeanor changed slightly then, his eyes growing cold again. “Been ordered to kill me, yet?”

Neamhni was once again caught by surprise. His eyebrows shot up, “I-what? No.”

Gray kept his gaze even, “Oh, you will eventually.”

Neamhni didn’t like the thought of that. Even though he had seen Gray kill a handful of people back at the warehouse - shedding blood with those claws of his - and knew that he was a criminal, most likely in league with their biggest enemy-he still couldn’t picture it.

He’d done it before - had been faced with a foe who posed a dangerous threat, and Neamhni cut them down without batting an eyelash.

This however was different, and the realisation was painful; even if his team ordered him to do it, had put a gun in his hands - he wouldn’t be able to kill Gray.

Those thoughts were scattered when Gray took a step towards him, “Why don’t we speed up the process, hm?” he flicked away his cigarette before reaching for his pocket, and suddenly he was grabbing hold of Neamhni’s wrist.

The hare faunus blinked in confusion as cold metal slid over his fist. _Gray_ _’s knuckle dusters?_ He looked back up at the man as Gray pulled Neamhni’s wrist towards himself, and suddenly the claws shot out, stopping just in front of his chest. Gray’s eyes stayed on him the whole time.

Neamhni was staring at him in bewilderment. He could feel the hard grip Gray had on his wrist, though if he wanted to, he could easily shove it forwards and into the man’s chest. _What is he doing?_

“Go on,” Gray encouraged, his eyes boring into Neamhni’s, hard as ice. “Do it.”

Neamhni stared at him for only a moment longer before wrenching himself back, distancing them by a few paces. The claws slid away. He was shaking his head as he slid the metal from his wrist, “I don’t want to kill you,” he said, before throwing Gray’s weapon to the ground at his feet. The action reminded him of the reason he had come here. “Why didn’t you kill me?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes.

Gray knelt down to pick up his weapon, “I’ve already answered that question.”

Neamhni furrowed his brows, “When did you-“

“Your two minutes are up." 

And then the door was closed, and Gray was gone. Neamhni balled his hands into fists.

-

Gray had been confused at first when he hadn’t found his company waiting for him on the couch. That was, until he walked into his room and saw who was lounging on his bed.

Twirling a masquerade mask around one of his fingers, the man greeted him with a pleasant voice. “It’s not nice when things don’t turn out the way you planned, is it?”

How infuriating this man’s timing was, really. _I_ _’m never gonna get laid tonight, am I._ Gray’s voice was flat as he answered. “And to what do I owe the pleasure?”


	5. Chapter 5

“I have a proposition for you.”

It had only been a few days since Neamhni had last heard that voice, and this time he hadn’t been the one to initiate the conversation. Much to his surprise, Gray had called him one night while he’d been lounging on the couch with a beer in his hand. Now he looked up at the ceiling with furrowed brows as he held his scroll to his ear.

“I thought you were usually out with the boys on a Saturday,” he said.

Gray’s voice continued to sound smooth and even, “I changed my mind.”

Neamhni let out a sigh, though he was still baffled at why Gray had decided to call him. “Alright, what’s your proposition?” he asked curiously.

“Not too complicated,” Gray began, and Neamhni could just hear the smug smile in his voice, “You, me, my bed, right now.”

Those brows then lifted, “Really?”

He could imagine Gray was shrugging as he replied. “I’m horny and you’re a good fuck, what else is there to it?”

Neamhni wanted to roll his eyes. “Don’t you have someone else you can booty call?”

There was only a slight pause, “I want you, though.” It was spoken in a matter-of-fact tone, as if he were choosing an option on a menu. When Neamhni didn’t answer, Gray put in his final words, “Look, the offer is there. If you don’t want it, you can hang up right now, up to you.”

 -

When Gray opened the door, he was shirtless again. Neamhni saw that smug smirk, the look in those eyes that said _I knew you_ _’d come._ This time Neamhni wasn’t playing the game, either. He had no obligation to be here, no need to try and keep up his facade in order to gain information from Gray. And now that the man knew who he was, it would never happen, anyway. This was a purely self-indulgent visit.

Gray had stepped aside to let Neamhni enter, but he stayed where he was for a moment. “Will you tell me why you didn’t shoot me?”

Gray’s expression stayed cool, “I told you I already have.”

Knowing he hadn’t had much luck anyway, Neamhni walked inside, but not before Gray grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. “And if you ask me that again tonight, I’ll throw you out on your pretty little ass.”

Neamhni looked up at that cool gaze, “Fair enough.”

“Good,” and Gray kicked the door shut.

When Neamhni’s bare back hit the bed, he’d been hit with a wave of de ja vu. Everything was familiar now; Gray’s figure climbing on top of him, those half lidded eyes looking him up and down. That look was pure lust and Neamhni had no qualms with it or the man’s intentions. He even knew the rush of heat that hit him when those lips found his, the adrenaline firing up in his blood where those hands met his skin.

Before he knew it that fire had taken over, and he was pushing Gray onto his back, the kiss growing fiercer, and their movements rougher. Hips pressed against one another in anticipation, and when Neamhni pulled back for air he felt Gray begin to grind against him.

If he’d been having any sort of second thoughts then, they would have all been scattered at that point as Gray looked up at him with dark eyes that said _I_ _’ve got you now._

His breath was heavy. By now Gray had a fairly good idea of what set him off, and he was using those to his advantage. In no time at all, Neamhni was on his back again and hands were pulling impatiently at his jeans.

He didn’t know why he thought of it then, but he spoke as the words came to him. “So,” he breathed, “You don’t care that I’m-”

“Right now,” Gray responded, pulling off the jeans and tossing them to the floor, “I don’t give a fuck.”

This was something that Gray wanted. To have Neamhni below him, breath heavy and eyes half lidded – he _did_ want this. He wouldn’t have called him here if he didn’t, but he still had a very slight problem; _part_ of him didn’t want this.

Which part of him was more in control right now though? The answer to that was pretty obvious; as he was now running a hand over Neamhni’s tattooed back, as he had done the first time, desire flowing from him in waves.

He leant forwards to murmur in the man’s ear, “Did you miss this?”

Neamhni was pushed forward onto his elbows, but the position did nothing to silence his snark. “Just get on with it you prick.” Gray simply chuckled.

This time was slightly different to the others, though. Before, Neamhni had just been a random faunus that Gray had met at a club. Now, he was a huntsman who’d been keeping tabs on him - but as Gray had said, that didn’t matter to him right now. All that mattered was that they were enjoying it - the adrenaline, the excitement, and the pleasure. The fact that they were rougher than usual only added to the experience. 

Gray’s frustrations dissolved into the heat of the moment as he drove his hips forward, and Neamhni’s usual concerns were all but tiny little incoherent voices underneath a wave of pleasure. It was the perfect compromise; an escape from outside influences while the two selfishly indulged.

A hand tugged on the hair between his ears and Neamhni’s hand clenched in the bed sheets. Gray’s heavy breaths were audible above him, right before he heard a familiar sentence.

“Say my name.”

Neamhni wasn’t going to obey that so easily this time, “Make me,” he replied defiantly. 

Gray’s surprise was evident in his movements, right before his grip on Neamhni’s hair tightened.

In the next several minutes, Gray had made it his endeavour to make Neamhni regret those words. His fringe was stuck to the side of his face with sweat by the time he’d been successful, the man below him shuddering with orgasm, Gray’s name on his tongue. He’d had a delightful grin on his face by the time he hit the edge, also.

- 

The next morning, when Neamhni had woken to find the wolf faunus beside him, he hadn’t known what to do. He was considering just grabbing his clothes and legging it, but Gray had woken as soon as the thought surfaced.

Neamhni could remember the way Gray had looked at him that first morning, a smug smile on his face, and the words ‘ _Mornin_ _’, sunshine._ _’_

Now he couldn’t see anything distinguishable in that expression as the man blinked and saw the hare faunus beside him. It helped him remember how much different this was from before. 

“So when am I getting kicked out?” he decided to ask. 

Gray rubbed his eyes, “I’m not gonna kick you out,” he said in his usual, husky, just-woken-up voice. Neamhni would be lying if he said he didn’t find it sexy. “You can go whenever you want.” 

Having apparently nothing to do that day, Gray had rolled over and gone back to sleep. Neamhni had looked at the clock, and then at his scroll, and upon seeing no messages, decided to do the same.


	6. Chapter 6

As the weeks passed, an unspoken routine developed for the two faunus’. During the week, they went about their daily lives - Gray continuing his usual meetings with the Hellhounds and Neamhni being given assignments that didn’t involve said wolf faunus - and on the weekends they met under the protection of dim street lights and pub corners. Being watched from both sides was difficult, and while Neamhni managed to come up with excuses for why he wasn’t free on Saturday nights, he wasn’t sure what Gray was doing about the matter. After all, not a single word passed between them regarding their normal lives.

It was just some simple fun. Neamhni had enough snark and general attraction to keep Gray interested, and the hare faunus was kept coming back by the danger and excitement that was Gray Buralo.

The only sort of hint that Neamhni gathered regarding Gray’s activities was the sight he had seen upon showing up at the apartment one night. Gray must have only gotten home just before him, as Neamhni found him in the bathroom, pulling off his knuckledusters that were now covered in blood. His shirt was also torn, the evidence of a struggle shown in his bruised cheek and bleeding arm.

Neamhni had simply stood at the door for a moment and stared. He could take a pretty good guess at what Gray got involved with - heck, he’d been a part of a previous altercation involving the Hellhounds - but it was different actually seeing the repercussions for himself. In the fight he’d been a part of, he’d seen the opposite side experience injuries and casualties, but Gray had barely gotten a scratch. This fight had apparently turned out a lot different.

He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all, and the thought that he didn’t like it was unpleasant to bear. Somewhere in the back of his head, he knew that if he had kept up his original mission with Gray, there would have been a moment where he would have had to betray whatever trust Gray had put in him for the sake of the mission, and return to his team to receive positive acknowledgement and a pat on the back.

Part of him may have been glad he didn’t have that responsibility anymore.

Before he could think much more about it, he noticed that Gray was trying to bandage his injured arm, though not doing a very good job of it. He decided to step forwards and make himself known.

“Need some help with that?” he asked.

Gray had stopped and looked into the mirror with raised eyebrows, before seeing Neamhni standing behind him. He’d looked down at his arm for a moment, before deciding it couldn’t hurt - no pun intended. 

He didn’t turn, but held up the bandage for Neamhni to take, “If you really feel like playing nurse.”

Neamhni moved forwards then, and grabbed the bandage from his hand, as Gray held up his arm so the hare faunus could wrap the bandage around his bicep. The next few moments were filled with silence, bar the sound of Gray’s breathing that apparently hadn’t completely evened out since his altercation. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, just strange; the mood was different. Neamhni couldn’t quite figure out what it was. When he finished, pining the bandage with a safety pin that was sitting on the counter, he looked up at Gray to see that old smug smile on his face again.

“What?” he asked.

Gray stepped past him as he pulled off the now ruined shirt, “You’ve worn the playboy suit before, are you sure you don’t need a nurse outfit as well?”

Neamhni rolled his eyes, but a smile was still on his face as he followed Gray back out to the living room. Honestly, it was like the man had no off switch.

Once he had moved back out into the living room, Gray had absent-mindedly moved to pick up his bass, and Neamhni didn’t miss the hint of surprise on his face before he decided to put it back down. He watched the man with a keen eye as Gray then disappeared into the kitchen, trying to inconspicuously hold a hand over his ribs. 

Neamhni closed his eyes for only a moment to let out a sigh; the man must have been more injured than he was letting on. By the time he’d reached the kitchen, Gray was just finishing a whole glass of water, before he dumped it in the sink, and turned towards him, a purposely cool gaze landing on the hare faunus.

After catching the odd look Neamhni was giving him, Gray raised an eyebrow, “What?” Neamhni was watching him carefully as he dropped his hand from his ribs, and Gray knew what that look was. Of course he’d noticed. Gray moved to defend himself before he was asked the question. “Trouble just likes to find me, alright?”

Neamhni had stepped forwards with a small smile on his face, “You’re good enough at getting yourself into trouble on your own without it finding you.” He hadn’t really thought much about what he was doing, but as he spoke, a hand lifted to brush the edge of the bruise on Gray’s cheek. Now that he was right in front of the man, he could see that Gray had a couple of small cuts just above his eyebrow, as well as a split lip. No wonder he had so many scars.

Gray had been gazing at him strangely, until he suddenly grabbed hold of Neamhni’s wrist. Dark eyes snapped back to silver ones.

“Take your shirt off.”

Neamhni rose his eyebrows, “What?”

Those eyes grew dark, “Take your shirt off.” Gray then raised one of his own eyebrows, “Or am I going to have to be the one to undress you?”

Neamhni lowered his hand as Gray let go of his wrist; “You really think you have the stamina for that right now?”

Gray shot him a cool look as he reached out to grab the belt loops of Neamhni’s jeans to pull him in, “I always have the stamina.”

 _Surely he isn_ _’t serious,_ Neamhni was thinking. He looked for a different excuse, “You smell like dirt and blood.”

Gray didn’t hesitate, “Nothing that can’t be easily fixed with a shower.” Neamhni didn’t look convinced. “Are you trying to get out of it?” he pressed. When he didn’t get an answer, Gray shrugged and turned to walk out of the kitchen, “Well, you can either join me in the shower or go home, I suppose. Your choice.”

Neamhni stood there for only a moment, before sighing and following once again. Gray _really_ had no off switch, did he?

Outside on the balcony of Gray’s apartment, a pair of eyes watched Neamhni trudge through the living room before disappearing into the bathroom behind Gray. Satisfied enough with what he had seen, he stepped back into the darkness of the awning and then he was gone.

-

Neamhni had barely wrapped the towel around his waist before he saw his scroll start to buzz on the counter. Upon glancing at the caller ID, he decided he should probably answer. Gray was still in the shower, so Neamhni slipped out into the living room.

“What’s up?” he said in greeting.

 _“Hey, I know this is last minute, but we_ _’ve been called in,_ _”_ River explained. Great, Neamhni thought, of course work would butt in at a time like this.

“What for?” he asked.

_“There_ _’s a Schnee function happening and they_ _’ve called for backup, something about death threats apparently._ _”_

“Really? We have to play bodyguard?” Neamhni sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Alright, just tell me where and I’ll head over.”

After he’d finished his call with River, Neamhni walked back into the bathroom to see Gray drying himself off. The scars on his back shone under water droplets and all Neamhni could think of was how Gray’s hand felt against his own back in the shower.

It was obvious that Gray was hurt. To what extent, Neamhni wasn’t sure, because the man was doing his best to conceal what he could. Even when they’d been in the shower, he’d held nothing back - it was like he hadn’t been injured at all. Neamhni knew better than that, though; Gray just had too much arrogance to let that get in the way of a good fuck.

Gray turned around then, and Neamhni caught sight of something. He chuckled as he reached out, “Your lip is bleeding again,” and thoughtlessly wiped it away. Gray’s expression was unreadable.

-

Once Neamhni had disappeared off to do his Huntsman work, Gray trudged back to his bedroom, a hand held over his ribs. “Fuckin’ ass,” he cursed the person who had kicked him, before collapsing down onto his bed. He was exhausted.

He would have been happy to fall asleep right there if he hadn’t been alerted to another presence by the door. The only sign that he’d been caught by surprise was the way his ears twitched, as he abruptly sat up. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. 

“Just thought I would pop in for a visit,” the smooth voice greeted him. Shade was dressed in a well-pressed suit, not a single hair on his head out of place. He stood out ridiculously against the stained old walls of Gray’s apartment. “Is that such a crime?”

Gray narrowed his eyes, “It is right now,” he growled. “So hurry up cause I’m not in a good mood.”

“Very well,” Shade replied, straightening out one of his cufflinks. “Nihil tells me you’re taking too long, and I happen to agree. When will this be over with? I don’t like waiting.”

That just seemed to put Gray in an even worse mood. “Things like this take time,” he answered flatly.

Shade tilted his head ever so slightly, and Gray hated that look. Shade always managed to act like he knew everything, from your mother’s maiden name down to the colour of the mat in your bathroom, and it was all in the look. 

“You’re dragging this out,” Shade accused calmly, his voice as soft and even as ever.

Gray gave him a baffled look, “I need him to trust me.”

Shade began shaking his head, and Gray suddenly felt like a child with the condescending look he received. “He already does.”

Gray didn’t believe that one bit. Their situation was complicated, difficult. Their only real compromise was made in bed. Outside of that, Gray was still a criminal and Neamhni was still a Huntsman. Ever since he’d figured it out, Gray hadn’t trusted Neamhni completely, so why would a Huntsman of all people trust him?  
  
He just shook his head, “You’re wrong.” Even then, he had a moment in his head. It was from just before - a hand caressing his cheek. He hadn’t been able to understand the look that Neamhni had been giving him.

“Well, either way,” Shade replied, “I am growing impatient. Either you finish this, or I will.” The statement was final. He then turned to walk out. “In the meantime, I’m going to keep up appearances. I hear there’s a function tonight that’s to _die_ for.”

Gray's eyebrows shot up, “The Schnee Company one?”

Shade turned back ever so slightly. His expression was intrigued, calculating. “Do you have a problem with that?”

Gray shook his head, “No, no, just…thought you had better tastes.”

With that, Shade turned, an amused smile on his face as he walked out. “That makes two of us, Buralo.”


	7. Chapter 7

Neamhni met up with his team at the entrance to the grand hall where the Schnee function was being held. He took the communicator from Tarragon as he listened to the apparent threats that had been made. The Schnee family had their own security for the function, but had requested the help of some Huntsmen to make sure the evening went extra smoothly.

So, Neamhni took his place inside the hall, wearing his more formal work attire and Umbra Bolt hidden under his coat. He didn’t think anything was going to happen, but he supposed if they were there to make the patrons feel safer than there was no harm.

He had been standing at the back of the room, near the doors where waiters and waitresses scurried back and forth with trays of food and drinks. One of the patrons seemed to notice him after eyeing up a tray covered in glasses of champagne that came out.

He began to move over, snatching up one of the glasses with a flick of the wrist as it passed him, before coming to stop in front of Neamhni. He had fair hair, a beautifully tailored suit and a charming smile. He also looked somewhat familiar.

“Good evening,” Neamhni greeted him.

“It is a good evening, isn’t it?” the man replied, looking around at the other guests gathered in the hall. He turned back to Neamhni, “Are you our extra security, tonight?” he enquired.

Neamhni nodded, “Yes, my team and I,” Neamhni gestured to where River, Gum and Tarragon were placed around the room. “I hope we are adequate.”

The man gestured vaguely with his glass of champagne, “That’s for old Schnee to decide,” he said. He then moved to change the subject; “You must get some interesting jobs as a Huntsman.”

Neamhni glanced behind the man, keeping an eye on the function, before replying, “Yes, it comes with quite a broad range of tasks.”

“I can imagine,” the man said, an amused smile on his face, eyes warmly regarding him. “I suppose you could have a high class function like this one day,” he added, “and then, perhaps dealing with faunus street gangs the next.”

Instantly, the Hellhounds came to mind, and more prominently - Gray. He tried not to think of what he might have been doing had he not been called here. “Yes. Quite true.”

The man had watched him for a moment before perking up. “Oh, how rude of me, I haven’t introduced myself,” He moved the champagne glass to his other hand so he could offer a handshake, “Shade L’uomo.”

That was why he looked familiar - he knew that name. It was a name that was often coupled with prestige. He took the man’s hand and shook firmly, “Neamhni Leveret, it’s a pleasure, sir.”  

-

Gray hadn’t managed to fall asleep. Almost his entire body was aching and he couldn’t help but think of Shade’s words before he had left. What was he planning? Was something going to happen at the Schnee function? Was there a reason why Neamhni had been called there or was it a coincidence?

He hated not knowing things. So that was why, after minutes of staring at his scroll, he picked it up and dialed a number he didn’t dial often.

It picked up after a few rings, _“What is it, wolf boy?_ _”_  

“Viscera,” Gray greeted quickly, “Has L’uomo mentioned anything about the Schnee function?”

_“What about it?_ _”_

“Is he planning on doing anything…well, doing anything at it?”

He could practically hear the sound of Viscera shrugging as she replied, _“Not as far as I know, but this is Shade - who knows what he_ _’s really planning._ _”_

Gray let out a sigh. “Good point." 

Viscera’s voice changed then, as if she were amused, _“What, are you actually concerned about something?_ _”_ The tone of her voice suggested that she might then add _‘you know you joined an alliance with an assassin, a serial killer, and an underworld mastermind, right?_ _’_

“No,” Gray quickly responded, “Just…confused.”

-

Neamhni wasn’t sure how long he’d been talking to Shade, but the man was pleasant and easy to get along with, so he didn’t mind. It was there that Neamhni found out that he had somewhat of a reputation.

“I heard you did a splendid job at dealing with that Grimm outbreak last year,” Shade commented, “Quite impressive.”

Neamhni let out a soft chuckle at the compliment, “Well, my team are trained for such situations, it wasn’t all too bad.”

“Oh, I didn’t hear about your team,” Shade said then, “Just you.”

Neamhni didn’t understand the look that L’uomo was giving him, and neither was he sure of how to respond. He didn’t get the chance to think over it though, because then there was a scream.

It was shrill, high pitched and terrifying, and it ripped through the hall. Neamhni’s head snapped around; it was closest to him. The friendly, lighthearted air dissipated as the patrons all looked around in panic, and Neamhni could already hear his team talking through the communicator.

River’s voice was the first, _“Neamhni, what_ _’s going on?_ _”_ he asked.

The faunus was already bursting through the back doors that said ‘staff only’ towards the sound, “I don’t know yet,” he responded, darting down the hallway, “Keep your guard up.” He rounded a corner, and suddenly came to a halt.

One of the waitresses was standing just in front of him, a hand pressed to her mouth in horror. Neamhni instantly pinned her as the one who had screamed. In the alcove in front of them, under a flickering light, was one of the waiters. Now sitting against the wall, he had multiple stab wounds in his chest and neck, and blood was pooling on the floor underneath him. 

A painful realisation hit Neamhni then: while they had spent so much time ensuring the guest’s safety, not a single eye had been on the staff. They had all been left back here, where someone could easily sneak in and gut them like a fish, one by one if they wanted to.

Tarragon’s voice was then sounding through the communicator, _“Neamhni, report, what is going on?_ _”_

He quickly grabbed the waitress by the shoulders, as carefully as he could, “Miss, I’ll take it from here, please go back to the hall where you’re safe.”

Her face pale, and voice gone, she could only nod, before turning and darting back down the hallway. Neamhni turned back to the body as he spoke to his team. “River, there’s a waitress about to enter the hall, she’s the one who screamed, she’ll be in shock, take care of her. Gum, Tarragon, do not take your eyes off of anyone-including the staff. Nobody is to come back here, we have a dead waiter and the killer is probably still here." 

He’d only had time to briefly glance at the body again before he heard it - the oh so very faint sound of metal scraping on metal. He turned to his right. The light that had been flickering then turned off completely, and somehow the rest of the lights in the hall short-circuited, throwing Neamhni into darkness.

Umbra Bolt was suddenly in his hand, activating into its first mode as he swung his arm out, ready to shoot. He scanned the area, on high alert, before his eyebrows creased. He’d been expecting something to jump at him, but there was nothing. Acknowledging that this felt like a corny horror movie, he decided that he was glad that it was him back here and not any of the others - at least he could still see somewhat. Being a faunus did have its perks, sometimes.

He began to walk towards where he’d heard the sound, just around the corner, as Umbra changed and opened up into the long bow. He held it in his hands and raised it in front of him. His steps were careful and quiet, eyes searching through the darkness for the killer. Wherever they were, he was going to catch them, and shoot them right through the chest. He’d seen the state of their victim - this person was not playing around, and didn’t deserve any kind of mercy. The sooner they were eliminated, the better.

River was out in the hall, and had managed to get the bare minimum amount of information from the stunned waitress. One of her colleagues - stabbed, dead. Huntsman going after the killer - the same that Neamhni had told him. Speaking of, Neamhni’s end had been silent for a few minutes.

He moved to talk to his teammate, “Neamhni report, what’s going on back there?”

There was a moment of silence before he answered in a hushed voice, _“Not now, River."_  

River pushed down his frustration. He didn’t like being kept in the dark; though little did he knew Neamhni was literally _in the dark_ trying to pursue the killer. He trusted his teammate though, so he kept his eye on the hall and its guests. “Fine, just let us know if you need back up.”

_“Will do._ _”_

Back in the darkness of the hallway, Neamhni stepped around the corner, Umbra Bolt still raised in his hands. His eyes narrowed, where had that sound come from. 

He heard it again, louder this time. He spun around, finger itching for the trigger. He wasn't going to call his teammates back here unless he absolutely had to, it was an age-old trick to draw out the enemy only to attack the nest, and he wasn’t going to fall for it. His eyes searched through the darkness, as frustration began to bubble in his stomach. He could _hear_ something, so why couldn’t he _see_ it?

It came again, this time from further down the hall. Could there be more than one attacker? He had no choice - he had to follow it. He moved towards the sound again, and came to a large stairwell. The lights were out down here, as well. _Come out, you prick,_ he thought as he scanned the area.

He turned his back to the stairs as he tried to think of a way to draw the enemy out, and he suddenly had an unsettling feeling rush over him. He couldn’t see anyone, couldn’t hear anyone, but his gut told him that someone was there, and it was not a feeling he had experienced before.

His pulse was rising, he had no idea what he was facing or how they were concealing themselves from him, but if he’d been on edge then, the next moment it skyrocketed.

A breath was at his ear, almost like a hiss, and Neamhni reacted, spinning around with lightning speed and shooting. The arrow flew through the air and hit the wall above the staircase. There was nobody there. Neamhni looked around him, baffled. There had been someone _right_ behind him. He’d felt the breath at his ear, had heard the menacing hiss. His breathing was heavy now, as he wildly looked around for his foe.

“Show yourself!” he demanded, gripping Umbra tight in his hands. He then caught sight of something on the ground. He stepped towards the staircase, and saw it was a single drop of something dark, a liquid.

Blood.

He heard something else, then. The scuff of a foot on the floor behind him, and before he’d had the time to react, something slammed into his back with unbreakable force. The blow flung him into the railing of the staircase, as the wind was knocked from his lungs, and pain shot through his torso. Neamhni had only managed to let out a choked gasp, before something hit him again and he tumbled down the staircase, only coming to a stop when he reached the bottom. His eyes were wide as he struggled to breathe, his torso aching painfully with every heave of his lungs. He looked up.

Nothing was there.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, Gray felt awful. If he had been aching last night, it was nothing compared to the burn he felt in his muscles when he hauled himself out of bed that morning. It wasn’t like he hadn’t felt like this before, but he certainly didn’t enjoy it. It was a sign that he had pushed himself too hard, tried to take on too many people.

He hadn’t managed to get to sleep until some unruly hour of the morning, so he wasn’t surprised when he looked at the clock and saw that it was almost midday. He’d ducked into the bathroom to splash some water on his face, before reluctantly poking at his side, seeing the bruising come through. He only had time to groan in annoyance before there was a knock at his door.

He knew who it was, and so didn’t bother putting a shirt on as he emerged from the bathroom and saw the door open on its own, a familiar faunus spinning the spare key around his finger.

Unum all but grinned at Gray’s disheveled appearance, noting how he must have only just woken up. “You look lovely,” he said sarcastically.

Gray only let out a short huff as Teres and Duos followed their brother in, closing the door behind them. He rounded into the kitchen, finding some instant coffee as the brothers made themselves comfortable where they liked. Gray’s hand was searching for his pack of cigarettes as soon as he put the kettle on. “How’d you guys hold up?” he asked them, finding what he was after and lighting it up between his lips.

“We’re fine,” Teres answered as he walked towards the kitchen, and Gray only just noticed that he was holding a newspaper. He tossed it down onto the bench and Gray raised an eyebrow in question. “I don’t think your rabbit is, though.”

-

Neamhni’s eyes blankly stared at the paper. He’d seen the picture, read the article, and while it had been grossly overdone, it was still true. He’d still failed. A reporter just outside of the building had snapped the picture, as Neamhni was getting carried out by his teammates, still unable to breathe and in a wave of pain. It spoke of how the team had been called for extra security, and let them down by letting a murderer slip through their hands. It was a colossal embarrassment to Special Unit RGNT.

He was sprawled on the couch in his living room while River paced in front of him. “I still don’t get it, how could you have not _seen_ them?”

Neamhni wished he could have used the darkness as an excuse, but even with the night vision that came with being a faunus, he hadn’t even caught a glimpse. “I don’t know, River. They were _right_ behind me, but when I turned, there was nothing.”

River was frustrated, that much was clear. Neamhni didn’t need the guilt of letting his team down as well as letting the Schnee’s down. Someone had _died_ because of him.

“And then you, Neamhni Leveret, got his ass kicked.” River stopped to look down at the paper, and Neamhni partly appreciated how his tone suggested how great he usually was. _Usually._ “Not to mention you were too busy mingling with the guests rather than doing your job.”

There was more guilt to stab into his chest, along with the physical pain that was keeping him taking shallow breaths. River kept talking, “And now we’re not going to have you for what, six weeks?”

Two broken ribs, the paramedics had told him. That would explain the pain he felt when he slammed into the railing of the staircase, and why it still hurt to breathe right now. It was incredibly annoying, not to mention inconvenient. He was practically under house arrest until he recovered.

Neamhni tried to shrug, “I’ll sneak back in before then.” River couldn’t decide whether to scold him for the remark or encourage it, so he settled with crossing his arms and glaring at the paper. “Look, I know I screwed up,” Neamhni said, pausing to take a short breath. “But even if I hadn’t, we still wouldn’t have had a chance. I didn’t even _see_ who attacked me. I doubt the waiter did, either.” When he thought about it then, Neamhni realised that he could have been killed just as easily. So why hadn’t he?

River was still trying to get his head around it, and the look he gave Neamhni was the same look he’d been giving him since the faunus explained what happened, ‘ _why?_ _’_

He shook his head, knowing the question was on the edge of River’s tongue. “Must have been some sort of concealment semblance, I’m not sure. The point is, if this is connected to whatshisname, we’re royally screwed.”

River could only agree.

-

It was that afternoon that Neamhni found himself sitting on the edge of his bed, flipping through a book he hadn’t picked up in a while. Being stuck at home all day was almost more painful than his ribs - he was incredibly bored. He was about to throw the book back on its shelf when he heard something from his window. 

“Oi,” the voice sounded from outside, and the man on the bed almost jumped out of his skin as he whipped his head around.

Dark eyes widened in unconcealed surprise, as he saw the faunus currently sitting outside his window. “Gray?!”

He found the ridiculous look on Neamhni’s face very amusing, as he cracked his usual smug grin. He looked quite comfortable where he was, lounging on the roof that stretched out under Neamhni’s window, housing the larger apartment below.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Neamhni asked, still baffled to see the man.

Gray leaned back on one arm, “I heard you royally fucked up,” he said, that smug look still overtaking his features. Neamhni wanted to roll his eyes, _gee thanks._

“You mean you read the news like everyone else,” he corrected him. Gray shrugged and nodded. “So what, you came all the way here just to tell me that?”

Gray shook his head, “Nah, I just needed to see it for myself.”

Neamhni nodded slowly and pressed a hand into his ribs - the ache was starting to get worse again. He wondered how long it had been since he last took his painkillers. He glanced out the window towards Gray again, noticing how the bruise on his cheek didn’t look quite as red anymore.

“So, what happened?” Gray asked, noticing the action and look of discomfort on the man’s face.

Neamhni reached for a pillow to press against his chest - apparently it made breathing a little more bearable for some reason. “I don't know,” he responded. “There was someone there, but I didn’t see them. They got the best of me,” he tried not to let it show on his face how much he was aching.

Gray quirked a curious eyebrow, “What do you mean you didn’t see them?”

Neamhni sighed, and fought the urge to wince. “I mean they were right behind me, but when I turned there was no one there. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Recognition hit Gray in an instant, and his eyed widened a fraction. He hated the cold feeling that seeped into his stomach then; he knew _exactly_ what Neamhni was talking about. His thoughts wandered to a memory, which had never strayed far from the front of his mind.

_Thump, and the body hit the ground. Gray raised a hand to wipe the blood from his lip as he looked down at the human with a breathy laugh._ _“Asshole._ _” He turned back to look at the faunus_ _’ gathered behind him. The Tenebris brothers were standing at the front of the group, nodding in approval, and just behind them were Nigel, Jenna, and the rest of the Hellhounds. There were also a few new members there, who all had variations of awe on their faces, and Duos had nudged the short boy with bright red hair and golden eyes beside him, as if to say,_ _‘I told you so_ _’._

_Gray was about to address them when he heard the purposeful scuff of feet behind him. He turned. A figure was standing at the mouth of the alley. It was imposing, but not giving off the vibe of an immediate threat. Gray narrowed his eyes. Without taking his gaze from the figure, he gestured to Teres. The faunus was by his side in an instant._

_“Go back without me, I_ _’ll be a minute,_ _” he murmured, slapping a hand on Teres_ _’ shoulder, before walking towards the mouth of the alley, knowing that the Hellhounds would be fine without him. A few of the faunus had stood watching for a moment, before reluctantly following Tere_ _’s orders and turning to leave._

_Gray stopped a few metres away from the person, his gang now gone, only being able to make out the embellishments sticking out from the side of their face. A masquerade mask?_

_“That was quite impressive,_ _” they said, voice smooth as silk. It was oddly pleasant to listen to._

_Gray glanced around; they appeared to be alone._ _“You mustn_ _’t get out often._ _”_

_A short chuckle - a soft, musical sound._ _“On the contrary, I get around enough to know your reputation._ _”_

_Gray was growing impatient; he wasn_ _’t going to stand around here and waste time._ _“What do you want?_ _” he demanded._

_The man jumped straight to the chase,_ _“I have a proposition for you, Buralo._ _”_

_It was under the shadows of a broken street light that Gray formally met Shade L_ _’uomo, and heard of the alliance that the man was forming. He promised the most power and underworld connections any street rat could dream of - Shade_ _’s words - and insisted that should the Hellhounds only lend a hand when needed, it would be an invaluable benefit for him._

_Gray wasn_ _’t so sure._

_Sure, power sounded pretty cool, but he was already the leader of the Hellhounds. Those faunus were all he needed, and did he really want to get involved in some mess with assassins and corrupt billionaires?_

_He folded his arms,_ _“And what if I say no?_ _”_

_Shade_ _’s head tilted ever so slightly to the side, and suddenly Gray could feel the hairs standing up on the back of his neck. He hadn_ _’t seen anything, but rather heard it. It was something that any human ears wouldn_ _’t have picked up - the very quiet sound of someone breathing behind him._

_They weren_ _’t alone._

_He_ _’d barely had the time to comprehend how someone had managed to sneak up on him, before a voice appeared at his ear._ _“Then you may not see those triplets when you return to your_ pack _,_ _” it was like a hiss, spitting out the last word menacingly, and it sent a wave of goose bumps over Gray_ _’s skin. He snapped his head around._

_There was nothing there._

_He was trying to hear it again, the sound of the man_ _’s breathing. It was gone. Surely he hadn_ _’t imagined that._

_“Don_ _’t mind Nihil,_ _” Shade said then, drawing Gray_ _’s attention back to him._ _“He_ _’s not much of a_ _…people person._ _” He finished his sentence with a knowing smile, and while it looked gentle it felt completely sinister._ _“So, do we have a deal?_ _”_

_Gray swallowed, his eyes cold. He heard it, then - the sound of Nihil_ _’s breathing, right behind him. He wasn_ _’t an idiot. He had played gambles before, but he knew when he was backed into a corner. He wouldn_ _’t put the trio_ _’s lives on the line for the sake of his pride. Besides, he thought to himself purposely, it wasn_ _’t like this didn't have any benefits for him._

_He set his jaw,_ _“I suppose we do._ _”_

“Gray?”

Silver eyes refocused on the faunus inside the window, blinking away the memory. He knew exactly what Neamhni had experienced, because he’d come up against it himself. _Nihil,_ he thought bitterly. 

Technically, they were on the same side, but he had never trusted Nihil. Not that he trusted Shade, or Viscera for that matter, but Nihil was a whole other story. He had no care for one person or the next, as long as he kept fresh blood on his blade. At the end of the day, if he wanted to stray from Shade’s wing and rampage off on his own Gray didn’t doubt that he would.

He blinked at Neamhni inside the window, not seeing any noticeable injuries on him, save for whatever it was he’d done to his lower chest. He was incredibly lucky to be alive.

 _No, this isn_ _’t luck,_ Gray thought to himself then, _This was planned._

Nothing including Shade _ever_ had anything to do with luck.


	9. Chapter 9

After two weeks of lying around at home doing practically nothing, Neamhni was reaching his limits. He was used to always being out and about, either with his work or simply enjoying what Vale had to offer, so this was a nightmare. Thankfully though, thanks to his rest (and the fact that his ribs were only fractured, not completely broken) and the medication he had been on, he was feeling a lot better.

Still, even if he felt like he could do minor tasks at work, River probably wasn’t going to let him back for at least another three weeks. So what was he to do?

He was half way through flipping the channels on the tv for the third time when his scroll vibrated on the coffee table. He quirked an eyebrow at the screen, noticing it was Gray’s number. Curious, he picked it up and opened the message.

‘ _Bored?_ _’_ It read.

He moved to reply, _‘You have no idea._ _’_

The next message he received had a photo attached to it. He recognised where it was taken instantly - it was a shot of one of the pool tables at the pub he had first met Gray at. _‘Up for a game?_ _’_ the message said.

Neamhni hadn’t been able to figure out why Gray still wanted him around. Sure, the casual sex was great, but now the faunus was showing up outside his window and offering up games of pool. Not to mention Neamhni hadn’t been up for anything, er, _strenuous_ in the last couple of weeks due to his injury.

Whatever reason it was, Neamhni had a feeling it had something to do with why he hadn’t been shot all those weeks ago, and he figured he’d probably never know - as frustrating as that was. He moved to reply, and then realised his next problem.

Knowing River, the guy had probably asked Pam - Neamhni’s lovely but nosy neighbour - to keep an eye on him to make sure he didn’t go out doing things he shouldn’t. Like going to a pub to meet a criminal when he was supposed to be resting.

That being said, she would only know if he left through his front door. A couple of weeks ago, Gray had shown up outside his window, which meant the tree beside the roof mustn’t have been that hard to climb. He moved to reply, _‘You_ _’re on.'_

_-_

When Neamhni walked into the pub later that evening, the familiar scent of cigarette smoke outside and a rock band playing in the corner, he saw Gray over at one of the pool tables, as expected. He’d picked up his own cue before he’d been noticed, and then silver eyes flicked over to him. The bruise on Gray’s cheek was almost completely gone now, the remainder of it being a faded yellow-brown colour. _Not the best colour on him,_ Neamhni thought in amusement.

“Tired of being cooped up, huh?” Gray said as a greeting, chalking the top of his cue.

Neamhni let out a small huff of a laugh, “That’s a bit of an understatement.”

That smug smile was on Gray’s face again, as he threw the chalk on the table behind him and turned back to Neamhni, “Are you sure you’re gonna be able to handle such vigorous activity?” he joked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Neamhni joined in with a playful smile, “It might be a bit of a stretch.”

Gray laughed as he rounded the table to take the first shot, “Well you can use it as your excuse when I win.”

After a few rounds - where Neamhni did indeed lose and used his injury as an excuse - the pair had headed over to the bar to get some more drinks. When they approached, Neamhni noticed that Gray seemed to know a man who was already standing there - another faunus who appeared to be from the dog family.

Neamhni just managed to catch the comment that Gray said to him, “I see Unum’s upped his game tonight,” he said, nodding over to the table where said faunus was going up against Teres.

The man didn’t seem to like that, “Don’t say that, I bet twenty bucks he would pot the black.”

Gray laughed as the bartender approached, “Relax, Nige, I know how he plays. His skill will drop after his third drink, just wait.” He gave the man a reassuring pat on the back before turning to order, and the man headed back over to the Tenebris brothers. Neamhni wondered if he looked familiar.

Just after they ordered, Gray had turned to him, a sly look in his eyes. “So, pool may not be that strenuous, but would you be up for something that requires a little more stamina?”

There was that smug smile that Neamhni was so used to. Of course he caught on straight away, and while he honestly wasn’t sure how much he could do before his ribs started to ache again, how could he turn down an offer from Gray? He took his drink off the counter with his own version of that smile, “I might be.”

Gray quirked a keen eyebrow then, and silently, a decision was made between them.

_Later?_

_Later._

- 

After a few hours had passed, Gray and Neamhni had had enough of playing pool, and were approaching the back of Neamhni’s apartment complex, chatting quietly as they puffed away at their cigarette’s. Gray had purposely waited until he’d left the pub to light up his own, considering he’d been getting some vocal complaints from Nigel about it recently. Honestly, if it was going to kill him, then so be it. He wasn’t all that keen on living to be an incontinent eighty year old, anyway. It was easy to duck around the building via the driveway, and soon they had found the tree that overhung the roof by Neamhni’s window.

Feeling only a little buzzed from the drinks he had had, Neamhni had turned to Gray curiously as he crushed his cigarette under his foot, “How did you know which one was mine?” he asked. 

Gray shrugged as he stepped forwards to start climbing, “I guessed.”

Neamhni stared at the man who was now climbing up the tree, a single eyebrow raised. He couldn’t imagine poor Pam’s face if she had seen a wolf faunus lounging outside her window. He chuckled at the thought for a moment, before stepping forwards to follow Gray up the tree. Coming down it earlier had been easy enough, but when he was pulling himself back up, he felt the pull in his muscles, which made his ribs begin to ache. He had only just made it onto the first branch when he groaned and pressed a hand to his side. 

Gray was on the branch adjacent to the roof, and he looked down at Neamhni questioningly, “You comin’ or what?”

Neamhni waved a hand at him, “I’m getting there.”

Seeming to notice what his problem was, Gray reached a hand down to assist. Neamhni blinked at it for a moment, before gratefully grabbing hold of it, as Gray pulled him up to the next branch.

“Thanks,” he said, as they stepped onto the roof, though he didn’t take his hand away from his ribs. Now it was just a matter of walking over to the window and climbing in. 

Once safely inside, Gray had looked around Neamhni’s bedroom curiously, and then said, “Were you trying to raise your electricity bill?” 

Of course he was referring to how the lights were still on, and Neamhni laughed, “I had to make it look like I was still here, didn’t I?”

Gray had turned back to him with an amused look, “True.” He then turned to face him completely, “So, how are your ribs feeling?” he asked.

Neamhni had dropped his hand a moment ago, and was confident that the last lot of painkillers he had had would kick in soon. “Fine.”

“Fine?” 

The look Gray was giving him seemed to say more than just that, though. Neamhni could tell that he really meant, _is it later now?_  

He put on his own version of the smug smile, “Fine.”

-

Once again, Gray had managed to surprise him. None of his movements were rough as they had been the last few times, and even as they’d backed onto the bed and began to undress, he always let Neamhni move first, so that he was comfortable and didn’t push himself. Of course, Gray managed to play it off easily like the smooth fucker that he was, but Neamhni appreciated the change in pace for the sake of his injury.

That being said though, it certainly wasn’t an experience that could be rated lower than any of the other times they’d tangled under the sheets. Gray seemed to be somewhat of an expert at taking any situation and making it memorable, whether it was a hookup after some uneasy encounters, or simply working around some tender ribs.

Neamhni had actually had the pleasure of looking up at Gray this time as he laid on his back, and the minute he’d winced slightly after a gasp, Gray had grabbed a pillow and pressed it against his chest, his breathing suddenly easier.

All Neamhni had done then was hold the pillow against him with one arm and grab hold of Gray’s forearm with the other where it was braced against the bed, and the rest was history.

-

Gray’s breathing was heavy, and he was covered in sweat by the time they’d hit their limits, and his arm that had been braced against the bed had dropped so he was holding himself up by his elbow. He looked back down at Neamhni, chest heaving, still holding the pillow. He had a blissful smile on his face as he came down from his high, an arm lazily draped over his forehead.

Then he opened his eyes.

Gray had to look away after only a moment, for the look Neamhni had given him went straight through his chest. It looked like Neamhni didn’t want to be anywhere else, with anyone else. Gray clenched his jaw, as a thought hit him hard.

 _‘He already does,_ _’_ Shade had said to him. 

Gray looked back to Neamhni, who still had that stupid smile on his face. It may have just been the increase of serotonin in his own brain, but he still didn’t like what it did to him. _Shit._

Neamhni drew his arm back to his side, “What?”

Realising he’d just been staring at the man, Gray shook his head, moving off of Neamhni so that he was on his back beside him, “Nothing.” He had then rolled over so he was facing away, and didn’t move again for the rest of the night.

As Neamhni had cleaned up and settled into bed, falling asleep easily, Gray had been wide awake. His mind wouldn’t stop going over thoughts and memories from the past few months.

He remembered Neamnhni calling him for the first time, saying, _“I don_ _’t suppose you remember meeting a rabbit in a club a few nights ago?_ _”_

He then remembered the conversation they’d had outside his apartment, where Neamhni had admitted he’d been under orders to spend time with him. But he _hadn_ _’t_ been ordered to sleep with him. Nor was he under orders now. In fact, as far as his team knew, Neamhni hadn’t even laid eyes on Gray Buralo since then.

Gray could easily remember his reasoning, as he had stepped out of his apartment the night Neamhni came demanding answers, _“You know you were just a good fuck, right?_ _”_

His mind then wandered to Shade’s words from only two weeks ago, _“You_ _’re dragging this out._ _”_

Gray had given him a baffled look back then and said, _“I need him to trust me._ _”_

And then Shade had shook his head, like the bastard that he was, always knowing everything before you did. _“He already does._ _”_

Gray could feel the warmth of Neamhni behind him; hear his steady breathing as he slept peacefully. It was so silent, such a calming, peaceful silence. It was the complete opposite of the roar in Gray’s head.

_He already does._

_-_

It wasn’t the sun shining on his face that had woken Neamhni the next morning, nor the chirp of the birds outside his window. Instead, it was the unpleasant blaring of his scroll on his beside table.

Neamhni had woken with a start, and started fumbling for it, too startled and weary to look at who was calling. 

 _“What the hell are you doing still asleep?_ _”_ the familiar voice greeted him. _“Hurry up and let me in._ _”_

Neamhni’s eyebrows almost hit the ceiling as that voice woke him up enough to remember that he had the leader of the Hellhounds in his bed. “River,” he said in a startled tone, and that caused Gray-who must have already been awake-to open one eye in question.

Neamhni was obviously flustered as he threw back the covers and began searching for his clothes, throwing panicked looks at Gray, “Um, yeah, just give me a minute or two, I just-“ 

Gray had slipped out of the bed while he was blabbering, and when Neamhni turned back he already had his pants on and had grabbed the rest of his clothes under one arm. He offered only that smug smile and a wink, before ducking out the window, and then he was gone. Neamhni stared after him for a moment, before remembering he was still talking to River. “Um, yeah just-give me a second to put some pants on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we had the official appearance of Nigel, an OC created by tokenfemalecharacter on tumblr :D As mentioned briefly in the previous chapter, he's a member of the Hellhounds, and is not a fan of Gray's smoking habit :P


	10. Chapter 10

Gray wasn’t in a good mood. He’d spent the last few days sprawled on his couch, using the excuse that he had a headache in order to get away with doing nothing. He’d tried picking his bass up a few times, but had been putting it back down on its stand in frustration only ten minutes later. He hated this. 

Because of this mood then, it could be easily said that Gray was looking for a fight when he finally showed up at the place where the Hellhounds gathered that evening. It was an old building, which used to belong to a car garage that set on fire some years ago. The back of the building was still half fallen down, brick turned black from the flames that were long gone, but the rest of the place was still pretty well intact, and so when Gray and the trio had found it, they’d instantly claimed it as their own.

The faded old sign saying ‘Anderson’s Garage’ was still hanging on a tilt above the front entrance as Gray walked up and around to the side, shouldering open the rusty metal door that squealed and announced his arrival. The inside was a wide open space, where the cars used to sit on the workshop floor, and a few bits and pieces were still left from the buildings previous owners - a desk shoved against a wall, a couple of car seats that had been claimed by the Hellhounds, some tires lying about, and of course the big metal frames that the cars were hoisted up onto.

They’d done pretty well with the place, actually. A couple of couches snagged from street corners were strewn about the place, a mini fridge and a tv had been pulled in, plus a few personal touches from the members. Gray had been hanging around this place for years, and it always felt like home to him, seeing all the faunus scattered about light up when he walked in. 

Today was slightly different. Today, nobody smiled and yelled out a welcome. Today, when Gray walked in and took in the group of faunus crowded around one of the couches, his jaw clenched. A few of the Hellhounds had turned at the sound of the door, but there were no smiles. 

Gray walked forwards and pushed past them to see what they were crowded around. Wide golden eyes looked up at him in surprise, before clenching shut quickly. Jasper was sitting on the couch, squirming uncomfortably as Unum cleaned up the mess of dark red running down his arm. The wound that it was coming from looked quite painful. It wasn’t the only one, either. The poor kid had a black eye under the red strands of hair that hung over his face, a split lip, and bruised chin.

Gray could remember when he had been injured, and it was Neamhni bandaging up his arm, his movements slow and gentle.

Balling his hands into fists, Gray spoke through his teeth. “Who did this?” Anyone who was low enough to attack the smallest of the Hellhounds was obviously quite cowardly, and deserved to face the biggest.

Duos walked over and handed Jasper a bottle of water, “Sabertooth.” The kid practically emptied the bottle in one go.

If Gray was pissed off enough already, that single word was enough to make him see stars. _Sabertooth._ It was the name of a motorcycle gang that hung around West Vale, and they were all humans who hated faunus. They’d had their fair share of run-ins with those assholes, but it apparently wasn’t over. Gray was already turning on his heel. 

“Hey, where are you going?” Jenna’s voice rang out through the large room and caused Gray to stop half way to the door.

He didn’t turn around, “Where do you think I’m going? To teach Sabertooth a fucking lesson.”

There was suddenly movement from all around the room now as the members began to gather themselves. “Well wait for us, then-” Duos had started to say, but Gray cut him off.

“No.”

Even Jasper heard the sound of necks snapping in Gray’s direction in disbelief. It was Nigel who stepped forwards first, his bewilderment obvious in his tone, “No? What, you’re just going to take them all on by yourself?”

“No,” Gray said, glancing over his shoulder at the group for a moment, his expression as cool as ever. “I just said I’m going to teach them a lesson. So stay here with Jas, and I’ll be back.” 

As he walked out of the garage, he made sure nobody followed him. Gray wanted a fight, he _needed_ a fight, and this was the perfect opportunity to go all out, and not have to worry about consequences. He was going to _destroy_ them.

-

With a sigh, Neamhni threw his scroll back onto the table. He didn’t know why he kept checking it when he hadn’t heard it buzz. He hadn’t heard from Gray in a few days, but that wasn’t new. He had his own life which he was pretty adamant on keeping private, and he would show when he felt like it.

Noticing that the sun had already gone down, he decided it was probably time to make something for dinner, anyway. Just as he stood up, he heard a knock on his door. It was River, who instantly bounded in and began reiterating his funny story of the day, which had something to do with his little brother and ducks, but Neamhni didn’t catch much of it. It wasn’t until River’s scroll buzzed and his eyes lit up that Neamhni felt an odd sensation in his stomach that he didn’t like.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Looks like I’m not done for the day,” River said, turning the screen towards his friend. “Some sort of gang fight over in west vale. I thought we weren’t supposed to deal with trivial shit like this. Though…” River looked closer at the screen, “Does one of them look familiar to you?”

That feeling in Neamhni’s stomach dropped like a weight. It appeared to be a picture snapped from a security camera, and one of the figures had the soft furry wolf ears that he’d grown _very_ familiar with.

“I…” the words died in his throat as he stared at the picture. There appeared to be multiple people surrounding the one faunus - four against one, by the looks of it. There was no way to tell how it had come about. Trying very hard to ignore the lead weight in his gut, Neamhni shook his head, looking away. “Dunno.”

The minute River was out the door, hehad reached for his own scroll. He had no idea if this would even work or not, but he didn’t think as he dialed the number and chewed on his lip. He couldn’t let himself think about what he was doing - that would just make him feel worse.

Out in West Vale, Gray was breathing heavily, sweat beading on his forehead as he drove his claws into the shoulder of one of the Sabertooth members. Behind him, the warehouse that the gang usually spent their time in was slowly falling down - the leftovers of how Gray had announced his arrival. Flames licked up out of one of the windows, and somewhere among it all would be the cigarette that had started it all.

Gray let the man cry out in pain for a good few seconds before twisting the claws in his shoulder, a satisfied grin on his face. The only weapon that the man had had was now lying on the ground several feet away, and there was no way Gray was letting him grab hold of it again. There were already two bodies slumped on the bitumen behind him - members which Gray had proudly put to rest, but the other had run off somewhere, and was the faunus’ next target as soon as he was done here.

Just as he was about to pull the blood soaked claws out of the man’s shoulder, something flashed under the illumination of the street light above them, and a stinging pain shot through his side. Gray pulled the claws out with a pained grunt, clenching his eyes shut for a moment as he kicked out at the man, sending him sprawling to the ground.

He took the time to place his hand against his side, feeling the sting from a fresh wound. It came back bloody. He turned to growl at the man who was slowly getting to his feet, a pocketknife in his hand. “You fuckin asshole.”

Gray took a step forwards, and was halted by the sound of his scroll blaring from his pocket. It caught him off guard - who the hell would be calling him right now? Out of curiosity, he pulled it out to have a look, thinking he could at least give the man a breather before he killed him.

_Neamhni?_

Impatient fingers were tapping against the bench top as the hare faunus held the scroll to his ear, teeth digging into his bottom lip. “Come on, pick up you bastard,” he ground out through his teeth. He was almost certain that it would ring out, but he heard a click, and then he could hear Gray’s heavy breaths fall through the speaker. 

 _“What is it?_ _”_ he demanded.

Neamhni suddenly stood up straight, “Wherever you are, you need to leave _right_ now,” he said, hoping the finality in his voice was enough to convince him.

Gray’s breath rasped a few more times in his ear before the man answered, _“What? How do you know where I am? I_ _’m not going anywhere._ _”_

Dark eyes closed for a moment in frustration. Of course he was going to be stubborn. Fine, Neamhni wasn’t going to be his mother. “Well my team are coming right now to arrest you, so its your choice whether you take my advice or not.”

And with a great deal of effort, Neamhni hung up and threw the scroll back on the bench. There, he’d given the man his warning, and Gray could do what he liked with it.

Back in the alley, Gray stared at his scroll for a moment, before the man came swinging at him again. He ducked out of the way as he shoved the scroll back in his pocket, his mind furiously working him around the situation. The last thing he wanted to do was leave without finding the bastard that ran away, but if RG_T were on their way, he had no choice. 

He threw his frustration into a punch, the claws hidden behind the knuckledusters as he drove his fist into the side of the man’s head, who then stumbled back down to the ground. Blood was already dripping down the man’s arm, and in a moment of complete disregard for anything other than his revenge, Gray pressed his foot down onto the wound.

“I’m going to keep you alive only so you can deliver a message,” he spat. “Touch _any_ of my boys again- ” _Or Jenna,_ his mind corrected him, who he was quite sure was not a boy, “and this will feel like _nothing_ compared to what I’ll do to you all then.” He finished his sentence with a kick to the side of the man’s head, before finally taking Neamhni’s advice, and slipping away, gaining as much distance from the scene as possible before the team of Huntsmen showed up.

-

It wasn’t even half an hour later when Neamhni was walking into his bedroom, swinging a book in his hand that he’d just finished reading. He would have to get River to buy him some more otherwise he wouldn’t have anything more to-

When he glanced over at the window, the book slipped from his hands. He fumbled with it, and managed to catch it again, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of what he saw. 

Gray was pulling himself up onto the roof top, bruised and bloody, and completely exhausted. Before Neamhni knew it, the book was on the bed and he was over by the window, pulling the man inside. When scuffed boots landed on the carpet, the hare faunus just stared at him wide eyed, noticing the clean slice in the side of his shirt, soaked through with blood. 

“What…what did you do?” he found himself asking. 

Gray was trying his hardest not to look like he was in pain, as he gave Neamhni his best attempt at that smug smile of his, “I taught someone a lesson.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we had the first official appearance of our two other extra OCs! Jasper belongs to someone on tumblr known as the Yo! Anon and Jenna was created by yours truly. They're going to show up a bit more in future parts as the Hellhounds become more important to the story!
> 
> [By the way, if anyone wants to become more familiar with certain characters or are confused about anything, feel free to shoot me a message, I'll be happy to fill in any gaps or send you in the right direction to get better acquainted with them all - they rad]


	11. Chapter 11

Gray’s jacket lay carefully discarded on Neamhni’s bed as the pair moved to the bathroom, and out of the hundred questions Neamhni had, he assumed he’d only get real answers for a few. As he searched for his first aid kit, he saw Gray pull off his shirt from the corner of his eye, and didn’t miss the way he hunched his body over just afterwards, as if trying to compensate for the pain that would have come from stretching out.

Gray was still giving him that smug smile when he turned back, “What, still no nurse outfit?”

Neamhni cracked a smile, “Nope, sorry. I’m sure you’ll live.” He took in the bruising on Gray’s chin, and then the slice in his side, and wondered to himself how he had managed to get involved with someone so undeniably reckless.

He decided to make light of the thought as he opened the kit, “So how long until the next injury, huh?”

Gray chuckled as he watched Neamhni pull out various things, wondering why he hadn’t asked the most obvious question. _Why did you come here?_

If he’d returned to the garage looking like this he could name at least few people who would have chucked a fit. He was simply lucky that he could have gone to Neamhni’s place instead, and having the hare faunus dote over him wasn’t the worst thing in the world, either.

“Look who’s talking,” Gray shot back playfully, “Broken ribs. 

Neamhni rolled his eyes as he moved to start cleaning up Gray’s wound, “I don’t get injured that often,” he said, and when he pressed a damp cloth to the slice in Gray’s side, he heard the man take a sharp intake of breath. He knew what he said next would only fuel the man’s ego, but he said it anyway. “You did go up against four people, though.”

Gray could pick up what was left unsaid in that sentence, ‘ _and I only had one, and they owned me._ _’_

 _But that was Nihil,_ he couldn’t say. _It_ _’s never a fair fight against him._

He decided to ignore it, “I only defeated three of them - the other got away.” Neamhni didn’t want to know whether ‘defeated’ meant killed, or simply maimed. He pressed the cloth harder for a moment.

“Ow,” Gray grunted in annoyance, and Neamhni felt somewhat satisfied.

He had a small smile on his face as he pulled back the cloth, now stained red, “Oh, so you _do_ feel pain.”

Silver eyes narrowed on him, “Stop trying to be smart. How’d you know there was four of them anyway?”

Neamhni turned to pull out a gauze patch from the kit, avoiding the man’s gaze. He hesitated for just a moment. “River was here when he got the message,” he said eventually. “He had a shot from a security camera.”

Gray could tell he suddenly looked uncomfortable, and it was then that he realised just what Neamhni had done for him. If he hadn’t have gotten his ribs broken, he would have been sent out as well to arrest him. But even so, he had called ahead and given Gray warning, even though it would be against the wishes of his team. He wondered absently what River would say if he found out that Neamhni had been seeing Gray behind his back.

Whatever it was, it would probably involve a lot of swearing, he imagined. From that moment on, he couldn’t shake the idea from his head, like he couldn’t actually believe it. A huntsman, knowing who he was, had willingly helped him evade his team. This moment felt almost the same as back in the warehouse, when Gray had pulled a gun on the very same huntsman, who had surprised him numerous times in the past few months.

Just as Neamhni was finishing up, having placed the gauze over Gray’s wound, two quiet words fell from chapped lips, “Thank you.”  

Hands stilled on Gray’s skin as Neamhni glanced up at the wolf faunus, seeing that there was no evidence of that smug smile, but just a very slight look of sincerity in his eyes. He wasn’t talking about what Neamhni was doing now; he was talking about when he had called him, saving him from being arrested. Neamhni swallowed; he didn’t know what to say.

Gray watched those eyes stare at him for a moment, as lips parted to say something, then clamped shut again. Neamhni then glanced down at the kit as he gathered everything back up, “Sure.”

-

It was just as Gray had been falling asleep that his scroll rang. It was only a few nights after his fight with Sabertooth, and he’d selfishly come back to Neamhni’s apartment, claiming that his had a burst water pipe. Considering how… _cheap_ the places in his complex were, it wasn’t much of a stretch to believe.

He was going to just ignore it, and as he picked up the buzzing device to put it on the floor, he caught sight of the number. _Shit._

He grudgingly pulled himself out of bed and threw a pair of pants on, only glancing once at the faunus who was now peacefully asleep as he padded out of the room. He found himself on the private balcony at the front of Neamhni’s apartment, as he quietly answered.

“What is it?”

 _“Goodness, someone_ _’s grumpy. Did I wake you?_ _”_ The smooth voice answered.

“Yes,” Gray grunted, leaning against the railing. “Now what do you want?”

 _“I_ _’m calling in a favour,_ _”_ Shade explained. _“One of Viscera_ _’s group managed to catch herself on camera while cleaning up a mess for me. Honestly, I should have asked Nihil to do it, but I knew he_ _’d have too much fun._ _”_

 _Perfect,_ Gray thought sarcastically. “I’m already doing you a favour,” he ground out between his teeth.

 _“Which you are taking far too long with,_ _”_ Shade replied smoothly, _“Though I_ _’m sure you_ _’re kind hearted enough to do this as well. I need someone small to break in and get that footage, and I know you have a couple of pups under your wing._ _”_

Gray closed his eyes for a moment. _Jasper and Jenna._ He knew he’d be dragging the Hellhounds into this mess, but he had always hoped he never had to get any of them involved. Of course that was only wishful thinking, which never got you anywhere. Ever. “And how the hell are they supposed to get in?” he asked. Of course he didn’t doubt that Shade already had everything planned out, but the confusion in his voice was still genuine.

 _“Well here_ _’s where you come in,_ _”_ Shade pointed out, _“You_ _’re no doubt at the home of our rabbit friend, aren_ _’t you?_ _”_

_-_

Gray had never known himself to have such silly morals until he’d had to steal from Neamhni. _No, not stealing,_ he reminded himself as he carefully picked up the man’s scroll from the bedside table. _Just borrowing._ The hare faunus was still asleep, blissfully unaware that Gray had even slipped out of the bed, and he hoped it would stay that way. If all went well, he could be back before the man even woke up, and it would be like he never left.

It was time to leave. He’d already called Jen and Jasper, and they were going to be meeting him near their entrance point, and he’d explain everything there. He slipped the scroll into his pocket and looked down at its owner again. He could see that the bruising around Neamhni’s ribs was all gone now, as the sheets sat scrunched at his hips, the man sprawled comfortably on his back. Gray watched his chest rising and falling with his deep breaths; he looked so relaxed, so peaceful. Didn’t look anything like the restless nights Gray had been having lately. He doubted they were going to stop any time soon, either.

He forced himself to turn and walk out of the room before he made himself late. The sooner he got out of here, the sooner he could return knowing that he hadn’t been caught. He’d be ruining _both_ of the favours Shade was calling in if he didn’t get back in time.

-

Gray pushed through the shrubbery at the side of the road, before spotting two familiar heads up ahead. “Jen, Jas,” he called out quietly. They both turned and saw him, and he pushed through to the spot where they had been hiding. It was just down the road from the building they were breaking into, but their entrance was right beside them - a large drain. The tunnel that ran under the building was only small though, thus why he regrettably needed these two. Once they were inside, the rest of the security points could be passed with Neamhni’s scroll.

“Do you maybe want to explain why we’re breaking into a police precinct?” Jenna asked him as soon as he reached them.

Gray should have expected that, “I owe someone a favour. A few favours,” he said.

Jasper’s ears twitched up in a realisation, “You mean that “partner” of ours?” he asked. Even in the darkness, Gray could still see the bruising around his eye. Poor kid, he hated that he was dragging these two into this.

“Yeah, that’s the one,” he said, somewhat grimly. “I’ve got what you need to get in though,” he pulled Neamhni’s scroll out of his pocket, and Jenna raised her eyebrows. 

“Who’s is that?” She asked, amazed that he’d gotten his hands on one.

Gray’s gaze turned to the side, “It doesn’t matter, it’s getting us in, and I’ll return it later.” He saw the understanding in Jenna’s expression then, of course she’d managed to catch on. She may talk a lot of shit, but she was very switched on when she needed to be, or wanted to be. “Forget it,” he said then, “Here’s what we’re going to-”

Gray’s jaw clamped shut when he heard a voice, and the three of them froze where they were.

“Hey, River!” It was someone out on the street. Curious, Gray had peeked through the bushes, and caught sight of Neamhni’s team mate who must have just left the precinct. Someone else was trying to catch up to him. _So that_ _’s River,_ he thought. That would have been the face to arrest him had Neamhni not warned him the other day. He still couldn’t believe that had actually happened. His side was still aching with his movements, but it was bearable enough not to let it show. It could have been a lot worse had he gotten caught.

He waited for the two Huntsmen to be far far away, before he turned back to Jen and Jasper, and began to explain their plan. _Please let this be done by sunrise._


	12. Chapter 12

Gray hadn’t realised he’d been holding his breath until he saw Jasper’s ears pop up from behind the concrete wall where the drain opened up, and his two smallest members of the Hellhounds appeared again, seemingly unharmed. He let out a breath. He waved them over, and the three of them instantly began to dart away, as far from the precinct as they could get before uttering a single word. It wasn’t until they were far, far away that they stopped in an alley to catch their breath.

“No hiccups?” Gray asked, leaning against the wall as Jenna pulled Neamhni’s scroll out of her pocket and handed it back to him.

“I don’t think so. We almost set off an alarm, though,” she admitted. She glanced at Jasper, who looked guiltily at the ground.

“I’m sorry, it’s not like _I_ _’ve_ ever broken in to somewhere with such high security before,” he said, shoving hands in pockets. His ears had drooped down.

“It’s alright,” Gray replied, taking note of the time. He needed to get back to Neamhni. “I shouldn’t have asked either of you to do this.”

Jenna held a palm up, “Yeah, yeah, but this partner of ours, we know,” she said. “That’s a conversation for later, let’s keep moving. 

It wasn’t until after they’d left Jasper with the Tenebris brothers that Jenna decided to bring up the topic of the scroll’s owner. They were strolling through the dimly lit streets now, confident that they hadn’t been caught or followed.

“So, what’s the deal with you and the rabbit, anyway?” she asked, giving him a sideward glance.

Gray had his hands in his pockets as he walked, and he didn’t turn his head as he glanced down at her, “He’s a hare.”

Jenna cracked a smile, “Alright, so change ‘rabbit’ to ‘hare’ and my question still stands.”

Gray let out a huff and looked around at the shadows at the edges of the street. He didn’t look like he was going to answer. His silence only made Jen jab him lightly with her elbow, “Oh come on, everyone knows about it.”

Gray began to absently chew on his lip, “Then everyone should know to keep their noses out of it.”

Jen set her jaw; “Well how can we when he’s a huntsman who could ruin us at the drop of a hat?” she threw back at him. Gray stopped.

He finally turned to her after a moment, and surprised himself with how sure he was of his answer, “He won’t.”

Jen raised an eyebrow, “Oh yeah? And why’s that?”

Gray could feel the answer swimming up from his veins, a truth he had known for some time but didn’t want to admit it. It would mean everything would change, and this comforting little scenario he’d built up would be thrown into the trash beside whatever had been in his gut when he’d said thank you.

“Because he trusts me.”

- 

The sky was only just starting to turn a lighter shade of blue as Gray snuck back through the window, amazed to see that Neamhni was still asleep. He almost collapsed onto the bed in relief, but he had to very carefully place his scroll back, and make sure there was no evidence that he had ever left. 

He couldn’t believe he had been so lucky as he climbed back under the sheets beside the hare faunus. He rolled to face inwards, and only saw Neamhni’s back, slowly rising and falling with his breaths. Gray had been so incredibly lucky. As he’d been walking back, he hadn’t been able to stop himself from imagining the rage on Neamhni’s face as he returned, caught red handed.

 _“Why do you have my scroll?_ _”_ he would have demanded. _“Where have you been?_ _”_

Gray almost jumped when Neamhni moved, rolling over and continuing to sleep peacefully, facing in towards the wolf faunus now. The lines in his face were all completely relaxed, and a stray thought crossed Gray’s mind, reminding him that of course Neamhni trusted him. How else could he sleep so peacefully right beside a gang leader who’d killed people right in front of him? Hell, Gray had almost killed _him._ It was probably the biggest reason why he hadn’t believed Shade a few weeks ago. But still, even after that run of events that could only be described as one big mess, Neamhni still trusted him.

Gray chewed on his lip as the dull ache in his side reminded him of what Neamhni had done for him only days ago. This stubborn, grumpy faunus who’d sworn to protect the people, had helped him: a criminal, a killer.

It was only then, as the sun crept up over the horizon, slowly flooding the room with light, that Gray was finally able to put a name to the feeling that had been weighing him down the last few weeks. It had been nagging at him, gnawing at the edges of his mind constantly, and he’d kept trying to push it away, but watching Neamhni sleep now seemed to only make it worse.

It was guilt.

Deciding he could do nothing to combat it, he closed his eyes and buried his head into the pillow, letting his exhaustion take him. He could only sleep in for so long after Neamhni woke up before the man would become suspicious, so he ought to get as much rest as he could now, and deal with the fatigue tomorrow.

After all, fatigue would probably be nothing compared to what he was going to deal with in the next few weeks.

-

By the time Neamhni woke up the next morning, he half expected the spot beside him to be empty as it sometimes was, Gray having slipped out to do whatever it was he did with the Hellhounds. Today though, when dark eyes opened, the first thing they saw were the soft furry wolf ears on the pillow beside him. Gray appeared to have curled up on his side, hugging the pillow as the sheets sat over his shoulders.

Neamhni hadn’t realised he was smiling until then, as he thought about how endearing the sight was. It wasn’t often that he saw Gray actually asleep, and by the looks of it he was still well under. His fringe was splayed across his face; lips parted ever so slightly, as he steadily breathed in and out, a very peaceful sight.

Neamhni felt confident that he was still deep in sleep, so he reached out to brush the hair away from Gray’s eyes. It was as he drew his hand back that he saw the dark circles underneath; the guy looked exhausted. Neamhni supposed he hadn’t been paying much attention to Gray’s face the night before, and he’d probably been pushing himself as he usually did. He let out a deep sigh and shook his head, as he pushed himself up onto an elbow to take a look at the time. It was mid morning, and he was meeting River in the afternoon-yes he was finally allowed to leave the god damn apartment-so he had all the time in the world to lounge around.

He let himself relax again, lying back against the pillow as he watched Gray sleep. It wasn’t often that Neamhni woke up first; he really must have been tired. His thoughts would have kept wandering if they hadn’t been cut off by a buzz, and he looked over Gray’s sleeping form to see the man’s scroll light up.

The noise had apparently woken the wolf faunus, the first sign of that being the slight twitch of his ears, before he shifted, releasing the pillow that he’d been clinging onto. When silver eyes slid open, they regarded Neamhni lazily, “Morning,” he mumbled, and Neamhni was instantly reminded of that first morning they had woken up together, when he added, “Sunshine.”

A small smile was already on his face, “Your scroll is buzzing.”

Gray rubbed his eyes, before reaching a hand over to the table beside the bed, blindly grabbing for the device. When he had it in hand, he pushed himself up onto an elbow, wearily blinking down at it.

At first, he was confused at what he saw, his mind still sluggish from sleep. _Tick tock,_ the message read. When it finally hit him, his eyes shot wide. It was at the very same moment that he got the same uncomfortable feeling in his stomach that he had the night he’d met Shade. He instinctually glanced up and over Neamhni’s shoulder, out the window.

Standing on the roof just outside the window, Nihil was twirling a dagger in one hand, while holding his scroll in the other, staring right at him. Then came another message. _Either you do it, or I will._

Neamhni noticed the shocked expression on Gray’s face, and turned to look over his shoulder, but he had no clue what the man was looking at. “What? What is it?” he asked. 

Gray swallowed, staring at the spot where Nihil had been a moment ago. “Uh-Nothing,” he stammered, “I just-thought I saw something.” He glanced back down at his scroll again, before locking it and throwing the sheets off of himself, “I also just got reminded of something I need to do today,” he said, avoiding the dark gaze that was watching him. Neamhni sat in the bed silently as he watched Gray fumble around for his clothes, and he was certain that he man was going to disappear again without a word, but just as he went to climb out the window, he stopped.

Gray glanced back at Neamhni for a moment, his jaw locked. _Tick tock,_ the words floated through his head. He simply muttered, “See ya later,” and then ducked out of the window.

The walk back to the garage felt like an eternity. While Gray had felt wide awake while staring at Nihil out the window, his energy had dropped back down, and now he was dragging his feet. He didn’t need to talk to Shade to know what would happen if he didn’t follow through with his promise.

It would probably go something like, _“If I have to step in, there_ _’s going to be a gang of faunus without their leader_ and _their triplets._ _”_

He clenched his eyes shut for a moment. He had never cared when people made threats against him, but to threaten the Hellhounds? That was a dangerous game to play. And his next problem was that if he dragged this out any longer, then Shade would have one more person to hold against him.

_Shit._

He was running out of time.


	13. Chapter 13

Days later, Nigel was lounging on one of the couches at the garage, relaxing with a beer in his hand. He was throwing banter back and forth with Teres and Unum, while Jasper tried to fix their dartboard, which had fallen apart a ridiculous amount of times. He didn’t appear to be having much luck.

Nigel was about to throw a comment back at Teres, when Jenna announced her entrance by the squeak of the side door. When three pairs of eyes landed on her, they could tell she wasn’t in a good mood. She only glanced at them briefly, before moving straight for the back room.

“Oi, where are you going?” Nigel asked her, and she stopped in her tracks.

One of her hands was already in a fist, “I need to punch something,” she explained. When they’d been setting up this place, Nigel had brought in one of his old punching bags that he’d used while part of the Atlus military. It was set up in the back room, the door currently closed. 

Nigel placed his beer down, “You can’t go in there,” he argued. The look Jen gave him summed up her thoughts as _‘and why the fuck not?_ _’_ He used a tone of voice that not many people could argue with, “Gray’s still in there, and you do not want to bother him.”

Jen raised her eyebrows, “Still? It’s been over an hour.” She glanced towards the door then, and began to chew on her lip, whatever anger she’d held when walking in there being replaced with concern. “What’s wrong with him?”

Nigel could only shrug, and when she looked at Teres, he did the same, “Dunno.”

- 

Sweat dripped off of Gray’s forehead as he threw his fists forward one after the other, endlessly assaulting the punching bag, which swung back and forth, the chain rattling above it. He didn’t know how long he’d been in here, but it never seemed like long enough. He was going to keep going until he collapsed, and he was content with that.

He was already aching, muscles begging for a break as he kept pushing himself, needing some sort of distraction from the roar inside his head. He was out of time. He had to go back and see Neamhni - he’d been avoiding him for days, but couldn’t drag this out any longer.

 _Just a little longer,_ he thought as he swung another punch, the bag swinging back into the wall before coming forth again. He swung another.

He’d barely even hit the bag when he felt the ache in his shoulder grow worse, and he stopped to roll the joint, holding it with his other hand. He was frustrated that his body was letting him down. He wasn’t done yet; he couldn’t be done yet.

He took a moment to catch his breath. His shirt was lying discarded on the ground, and he was covered in sweat. He pushed his fringe back with one hand, closing his eyes for a moment, no sound in the room except for his heavy breaths.

 _Either you do it, or I will._  

A growl tore from his throat, and he swung another punch.

It was about fifteen minutes later when Duos strolled in, blabbering about something unimportant, with the sound of Nigel telling him off in the background.

Gray was holding his shoulder as he turned to glare at the faunus, “Get out.”

Duos blinked at him, taken back by the harsh tone, “Whoa, what’s up with you?”

Gray hardened his gaze, “I said _get out._ _”_

Duos had stood there for a moment, before making a wise decision and backing out silently. It was only once the door was closed again that Gray put his head in his hands, shoulders rising and falling with his rapid breaths as sweat dripped from his chin. _I_ _’m out of time. God damn it, I_ _’m out of time._

Back outside in the main room of the garage, Nigel spoke up, “I told you he was mad,” he pointed out.

Duos had an odd look on his face - disbelief, maybe? “And I told you, I’ve seen him mad before,” he replied, grabbing a drink out of the mini fridge. He slammed the door shut, “And that wasn’t mad.”

Jen was sitting beside Jasper now, helping him try to put the dart board back together, “Then what was it?” she asked.

Duos shared a look with Teres and Unum. They had known Gray for the longest, but he couldn’t actually recall anything quite like it. “That was a mess.”

Back inside the room, Gray pressed his palms into his eyes. This wasn’t helping. He needed a fight – a real one. And he knew exactly where to get one. He glanced out the window; the sun was only just starting to set. Already decided, he grabbed his shirt from the floor and threw the door open, stalking out into the garage.

“I’m going out,” he announced, before anyone could ask, “Don’t follow me.”

-

It was close to nine o’clock when Neamhni finally heard from Gray. He’d been walking into the kitchen when his scroll buzzed, and when he opened the message he looked at it in confusion.

 _‘Can I use your shower?_ _’_ it read. He was about to reply, when he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He looked up, and Gray was standing at the entrance to the hallway, his scroll sitting loosely in his hand. It wasn’t his sudden appearance that made Neamhni’s lips part in shock, though.

He was covered in bruises. An angry red mark sat on his cheekbone, grazes on his jaw highlighted by pink and purple – it looked painful. The scroll was all but forgotten as Neamhni moved over to him, his eyes running over them all, “What the hell did you do?” The tone of his voice made his concern obvious, but he didn’t really care about that anymore, not when Gray showed up looking like this. 

The look on Neamhni’s face was enough to make Gray look away, “Nothing,” he muttered. “Shit happens.” He pulled his arm back when Neamhni reached out for him. He didn’t want to be doted over today. “So?” he asked, “Can I?”

Neamhni blinked, until he remembered the message. “Oh, yeah. Sure.”

Gray could barely look at him, as he turned back towards the bedroom, “Thanks.”

-

When Gray emerged from the bathroom fifteen minutes later, Neamhni had been lying on his bed, absently fiddling with his scroll. The wolf faunus was only wearing his briefs, as he toweled his hair dry, and Neamhni’s eyes took note of each part of the man’s skin that looked bruised or tender. He looked slightly better than before – the scrapes having been cleaned up and the dirt scrubbed off of his elbows. Not for the first or last time, he wondered to himself how he had managed to get involved with someone so undeniably reckless. 

This was Gray Buralo, though. From the very beginning, Neamhni had been drawn in by the danger and excitement that the man brought with him wherever he went, and he supposed the recklessness was just an extra that came with that package. 

While he was able to wave that thought off, another one had been plaguing him while Gray was in the shower. Neamhni hadn’t known Gray for a huge amount of time, but even now he knew the man enough to know that something was up. Gray had been acting strangely more often than not recently, and it was genuinely concerning.

He wasn’t sure if he would get an honest answer, but he had to at least try. Gray had to already know that he cared about him at least somewhat, didn’t he? 

Neamhni sat himself up and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, looking up at the man. “Are you alright?” he asked.

Gray glanced down at him and paused in his movements. He knew that Neamhni wasn’t just talking about the bruising, or the way he had been avoiding the man’s gaze tonight. It was much more than that. _No,_ he thought. “Yes,” he said, letting the towel rest around his shoulders, “I’m fine.”

Neamhni kept his gaze for a moment; he wasn’t even a little convinced by that answer. He stood up then, “I’m serious. You’ve been acting weird recently.” As he stepped closer, he could see Gray’s eyes growing minutely wider. “Are you sure y-”

Neamhni’s back hit the wall.

He almost felt dizzy from how fast Gray had shoved him, and before he’d even been able to gasp in surprise, those lips were on his in a hot, open-mouthed kiss.

It was a shockingly drastic shift in mood, but Neamhni could do nothing but accept Gray’s forceful change in atmosphere, as he relented easily to the feel of those hands at his waist.

Gray had pulled back just a fraction then and breathed, “No more talking.” The response he received was just a silent nod, Neamhni still looking too shocked to respond properly, and he grinned in satisfaction, before kissing him again.

Neamhni’s thought processes may as well have been thrown out the window, because the wolf faunus knew each and every way to set him off, and the way Gray pressed him to the wall and ran his hands up and under Neamhni’s shirt was one of them. 

It didn’t take long for that shirt to be discarded on the ground, and then warm lips were trailing their way along Neamhni’s jaw and down his neck, and all he could do was grab hold of Gray’s hips and enjoy it. The sensations were coursing straight down his side, and he tilted his head as heavy breaths began to fall from his lips. He could feel Gray smirk against his skin then, followed by the unexpected feeling of the man pulling skin between his teeth. 

Just as Neamhni figured that this round was _not_ going to be gentle, Gray reinforced the idea by pushing the hare faunus sideways towards the bed. It was only when his tattooed back hit the sheets that Neamhni spotted a familiar spark in Gray’s eyes, and noticed that he looked more like himself now than he had in weeks.

The towel that had once been on Gray’s shoulders was now on the floor somewhere, but it was the last thing on either of their minds as the wolf faunus climbed onto the bed, a look in his eyes that was something a little more than just mischievous. His hand ran its way down Neamhni’s chest and lazily began to unbuckle his belt, silver eyes never leaving his. 

“How are the ribs?” Gray breathed the question casually, as if the movements of his hands weren’t making Neamhni’s stomach begin to flip in anticipation.

It wasn’t until his jeans hit the floor that he answered, still holding that gaze. “Fine.”

Gray’s expression looked _very_ mischievous, as he raised an eyebrow. “Fine?”

Neamhni didn’t bother asking the same of Gray’s injuries – he knew it would just be brushed off – so he just nodded, “Fine.”

The grin on Gray’s lips disappeared under the tumble of his fringe then as he ducked his head down to run his lips over Neamhni’s chest. He seemed to be favoring holding his weight on his left arm rather than his right, but that was all that Neamhni noticed before he was distracted by the feeling of a hand running up the outside of his thigh and in over his hip, instead of somewhere else. Gray was being a tease.

Neamhni didn’t like being teased, “If I have to-“

Gray held up a finger, and Neamhni fell silent. There was that same look in his eyes from before, and it was making his heart begin to pound.

It wasn’t until briefs had been discarded and those lips trailed their way down his abdomen that Neamhni’s breath caught in his throat as he finally caught on. _Oh._ Gray’s hands were massaging his thighs as hot breath danced over his skin, and he was just about ready to burst from anticipation. Not because nobody had ever gone down on him before, but because _Gray_ had never done so.

And oh boy, he did _not_ disappoint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm a total music junkie, I'll always try to find fitting songs for when I'm writing. For this chapter and the few parts leading up to it I listened to 'Take It Out On Me' by Thousand Foot Krutch a lot (it kinda inspired the scene at the start, actually). Not to mention this whole story was inspired by Courbe's cover of 'I Know I'm A Wolf' (thus it being the title ehe)


	14. Chapter 14

“Neamhni.”

It was a breathy, dragged out version of the hare faunus’ name, and it was enough to drive him wild. Neamhni’s back was against the sheets and his hands were on Gray’s biceps amidst the haze of bliss they were in, the pace not showing any signs of slowing down soon. It was nothing short of exhilarating. 

Amidst their eager movements, heat had risen around them in no time at all, and now they were covered in sweat, but it did nothing to hinder the sight that Neamhni looked up at. Gray’s eyes were half lidded in pleasure, teeth clamping down on his bottom lip and fringe pushed back after a hand had run through his hair. No wonder Neamhni had been coaxed into this so easily when it was Gray who was offering.

Something about tonight made everything feel so much better though, and he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Gray was certainly more… _eager_ than usual he supposed, and their movements were rougher, but if anything, it was probably those silver eyes, and the way his name had sounded on those lips.

He got to hear it one more time when they reached their limits and Gray tumbled over the edge. It was breathy and helpless and sounded so raw it hit Neamhni right in the chest. Even after they’d calmed down and Gray had collapsed on the sheets beside him, all he could hear was that one word circling around and around in his head.

After allowing sufficient time for him to regain his breath, Neamhni had moved to sit up so he could clean himself up, but Gray had already grabbed hold of the towel on the floor beside the bed.

“Here,” he breathed, dumping the towel lazily on the man’s chest. Neamhni laughed at him.

“That exhausted, are you?” he teased.

Gray certainly looked spent, and he did nothing to deny it. He just held up a finger, “Shush you.”

Neamhni smiled, and once he dumped the towel on the floor again, he rolled onto his side, watching the wolf faunus curiously. Despite the fact that something had obviously been bothering Gray, he looked quite content right now. His eyes were closed as he sprawled on his back, his chest rising and falling with his breaths that were slowly deepening.

Neamhni began to count the bruises. He could see one on Gray’s arm, and knew that he must have been pressing into it when holding onto him earlier, but Gray hadn’t seemed to care. Of course he didn’t, the man always seemed to ignore his own physicality when they were together. Injuries had never slowed him down before. 

Gray opened his eyes, “Nea…” he turned his head towards him then, as if adding an extra thought, “Can I call you that?”

Neamhni’s smile widened, “Yeah.” There was something else to add to the list of things that can’t have been good for his heart – a nickname.

Gray opened his mouth to say something, but after a moment, he shut it again. Neamhni waited patiently, watching those silver eyes as they gazed at him, but whatever words Gray had thought up weren’t going to be said. He shook his head, looking elsewhere, “Nevermind.”

Neamhni instantly noticed where Gray’s eyes had wandered. _Admiring his handiwork?_ He thought. Gray was looking in the general direction of his legs, and there were a few distinct hickeys on the insides of Neamhni’s thighs that the man must have been proud of. At least they were there and not on his neck, otherwise River would be jumping on him and demanding to know who had put them there.

It was a few moments later that Neamhni was surprised by Gray murmuring. “You were going to let me,” he said quietly.

The hare faunus turned to blink at him in confusion, “Huh?”

Gray wasn’t looking at him, but at the sheets, “That was the answer to your question.”

Neamhni’s eyebrows were creased, and he was halfway through asking what question Gray was talking about, when he remembered their conversation from weeks ago.

 _“What was that back at the warehouse?_ _”_ He had demanded, standing outside Gray’s apartment in the dim light.

Gray’s gaze had stayed cool, _“What was what back at the warehouse?_ _”_

Neamhni could remember being frustrated at Gray, _“You were going to shoot me._ _”_

And then the sentence that had confused him the most, _“You were going to let me._ _”_

Neamhni’s eyes had widened as he stared at the man beside him on the bed, “You didn’t shoot me…because I-" 

“You’re a _huntsman,_ ” Gray said then, finally looking at him. “You’re supposed to fight back, to defend yourself, to do- _something._ ”

And that’s when Neamhni finally understood. Gray had looked so incredibly shocked when he’d shot the other man. Not because of his decision to shoot the other, but because Neamhni did nothing to stop him. Neamhni had completely surprised him, and Gray hadn’t been able to understand why.

Now, he could ask. “Why didn’t you do anything?”

Neamhni glanced down at the sheets, and he shook his head, “I don’t know,” he admitted, “I was frozen.” 

Gray was still looking at him strangely, like he still didn’t believe it had happened. “I could have killed you.” 

Neamhni flattened his hand on the sheets, before glancing back up at him, “I know.”

-

The first thing Neamhni became aware of the next morning, was the strip of sunlight that had peeked through the curtains, and hit his eyes. The next thing that he noticed was a weight on his side. The feeling became more prominent in his mind when he tried to shift away from the sun, as the weight didn’t move. Confused and still half asleep, he’d rubbed his eyes and squinted them open.

The first thing he caught sight of was a pale, scarred hand. Eyebrows suddenly lifted when Neamhni realized the hand was connected to an arm-Gray’s arm-and it was draped over his waist.

Out of all the times they had shared a bed, even after sex, they hadn’t touched each other once. As soon as the act was done, they’d roll over and fall asleep, and that would be that. So _this_ was a first. And as silly as it was, it made Neamhni smile.

He’d barely gotten over the way Gray had said his name last night, let alone the nickname and now _this._ He wanted to roll onto his back, having been lying on his side for too long, but decided to stay as he was for a few more minutes. He could handle lying on his side for a little while longer if it meant that weight stayed on his waist.

- 

“Neamhni.”

The hare faunus turned from where he had been rummaging through his drawers, “Yeah?” Gray had seemed quite lethargic ever since he woke up, and had been napping on the bed while Neamhni got up and pottered around. Now though, Gray was lying on his side, propped up on an elbow, watching the shirtless man with an unreadable expression.

He’d glanced to the side with uncertainty, before spitting his question out, “How much do you know about my boss?”

If there were a list of all the things Neamhni _hadn_ _’t_ been expecting, that sentence would have been at the very top right beside ‘I love you’. He had blinked in surprise, eyebrows shooting up under his fringe. “What?”

Gray swung his head to the side in exasperation, “You know I’m working for someone,” he said, as if it had been established a while ago. Neamhni didn’t think he wanted to continue this conversation. “Otherwise,” Gray added then, “You wouldn’t have been told to call me.”

Well, Gray had him there, Neamhni realised. If he were being honest, he hadn’t been thinking about that at all. Not since he’d been found out as a Huntsman and his job was no longer a part of this. He hadn’t wanted to think about it. He let out a sigh, turning towards Gray completely.

“I don’t _know_ anything about…your boss,” he replied uncomfortably, pushing the drawer shut behind him. He began to rub the side of his neck, “We just had reason to believe you were connected to all the shit that started happening when Mr Boogeyman showed up.” He was met with the raise of a single eyebrow. “River’s nickname, not mine,” he added.

Gray let out a short sigh, as he sat up in the bed, the sheets sitting at his hips as he lent his arms against his knees. “Right.”

Neamhni felt like they were on a very thin tightrope – they’d talked about his huntsman work before, briefly, like last night and when Neamhni had demanded answers outside Gray’s apartment. This subject though was a new one, and with who they were and what they’d been doing, it made the air feel tense. Perhaps _neither_ of them had wanted to think about it. But why was Gray suddenly bringing it up?

“Well,” Gray said then, pushing his fringe back, before leaning back against the headrest, “You’re right.” He looked at Neamhni as he finished his sentence, and the hare faunus stood still where he was, unsure of what to do with what Gray had just said. Before he could ask, Gray elaborated, “I am a part of it.”

Hands closed and opened at Neamhni’s side, “Oh.”

Gray looked almost as uncomfortable as Neamhni did, as he looked down at his hands. “If you want, I’ll…tell you about it.”

Neamhni’s legs moved him back over to the bed, and then he was sitting beside Gray, as the man started talking.

“There’s an alliance, four of us. I was the last to join – a man approached me about it some time ago, and I originally wanted to decline. But,” Gray set his jaw as he glared at the sheets, “He threatened the Hellhounds, my oldest friends. So I didn’t really have a choice.”

Neamhni was stunned into silence as he listened, and Gray continued to talk to the sheets. “They were involved in the murder at the Schnee function, as well as your broken ribs,” he explained. “They’ve been involved in a lot of things, actually, and I’ve had to lend a hand where needed. It’s mostly been things I can deal with, only now…” he shifted uncomfortably, “Now he wants me to do something I’d…rather not do.”

Neamhni could see how Gray didn’t particularly want to talk about it, either, but he was anyway. He decided that his huntsman hat wasn’t currently on, as he replied.

“Well, what’s more prominent – your fear of him, or your aversion to this task he wants you to do?”

Gray seemed surprised that Neamhni had asked him that, rather than say something that a Huntsman _should_ say. He clenched a hand in the sheets, but didn’t answer. 

After a few minutes of silence, Neamhni ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Gray, why are you telling me all of this?”

The wolf faunus was silent for a moment, before he set his shoulders, as if making a decision. He then turned to Neamhni, his jaw tight, as if it was hard for him to say his next sentence. “I need your help.”


	15. Chapter 15

That morning, Gray and Neamhni had talked for a long time. It was as they were talking that Neamhni was processing the information that _yes,_ Gray was involved with Sovereign Alliance, but he focused on the fact that the man wanted out. Gray didn’t give away much information about who the other members of the Alliance were, but he did explain that there was no point going for them. After all, why fight the whole army when all you need to do is take down the commander?

So, together they devised a plan. Gray didn’t want to get the Hellhounds involved in any more of his mess, so they needed the aid of RGNT. Neamhni was almost over the moon when Gray explained that he was supposed to be meeting his boss in a week’s time – which meant that they could finally catch the man who’d been slowly tearing Vale to pieces. He almost couldn’t believe that this wouldn’t have been possible if he hadn’t dressed up in a corset at Lola’s all those months ago.

It wasn’t the best location to go about an ambush, Gray had explained, so unfortunately not all of RGNT would be able to assist them, and Gray himself couldn’t be substituted for anyone, as he had to show up so that his boss didn’t suspect something was up. It took a while to work around all of the obstacles that they faced in order to make it work, but after a few hours, they had something plausible.

They could achieve it with a three-man team. Gray knew enough about the location to map out exactly where they could all enter undetected, and once he’d gotten his boss in just the right spot, the other two could jump him. In the unlikely scenario that the man figured out he was being ambushed, at least it would still be a three on one fight, so they would still have a decent chance. Gray said he would make sure nobody else was accompanying his boss, otherwise that would throw off their plans, too. 

After a bit of thinking, Neamhni decided his best choice for their third person would be River. It would take a bit of convincing, he knew, to get the man to join their plan without the rest of their team and with Gray’s background – but Neamhni knew that the temptation of catching their ‘Boogeyman’ would be enough to sway him. 

Once they’d sorted all of that out, all they had left was for Neamhni to get River on board, while Gray followed up on his end to ensure his boss showed up alone. They were confident they could do that.

They were still sitting on Neamhni’s bed when the conversation finally came to an end. Neamhni’s head was still filled with tactics and strategies, his years of training having been very useful to their plan. He was glancing down at the notepad between them, where Gray had scrawled out the basic structure of the building.

“I didn’t mean to drag you into this,” Gray’s voice broke the silence, and Neamhni glanced back up at him. Gray wasn’t looking at him, but down at the drawing as the huntsman had been, his fringe falling over his face. There was something in his expression that Neamhni couldn’t quite place. 

The huntsman shifted on the bed, so that he was more relaxed than when they were strategising, leaning against his outstretched arm. “I was already a part of it, even before I met you,” he said in reply, remembering the missions he’d gone on months ago, trying to sniff out their new enemy. The look in Gray’s eyes suggested that he wouldn’t have recruited Neamhni’s help if he didn’t have to, but that was the thing – who else could he have gone to?

“Besides,” he added then, coming back to their conversation, “Even if I wasn’t, I’d still help.” He wanted Gray to know that – he needed him to know that he wasn’t just doing his job; that he genuinely wanted to help him. His eyes fell to one of the bruises on Gray’s arm, then.

“And if we’re going to do this,” he said, reaching out to poke it gently, “You’re going to have to take care of yourself.” Gray had instinctively raised a hand to rub at where Neamhni poked his bruise, knowing that he was right. He knew he was reckless – it had been in his system since he was young, and he barely knew anything else – but Neamhni was right. He couldn’t show up to this ambush while injured, or he would be no help at all. 

“Alright,” he said in reply, hand still on his arm. He then remembered Neamhni’s most recent injury. “Will you be up for it?”

The huntsman waved him off, “I’ll be fine, I’m pretty much all healed. I’m itching to get out and do something anyway,” he admitted.

Gray almost laughed. Instead, he simply said, “I can imagine,” before glancing down at the drawing again. After a moment, when he met those dark eyes once more, the words came easier than they had last time. “Thank you.”

-

Neamhni walked into the police precinct with a grin on his face. He couldn’t wait to tell River the good news – he just hoped that his teammate would be just as happy about it all. They were finally going to take down their enemy, and it was all thanks to Gray, the man who had originally been an enemy, too.

He walked past the front desk, and was just about to swipe his scroll to get into the main part of the building, when a voice called out to him.

“Oh, hey Neamhni!”

The faunus stopped and turned towards the desk. The face of the person there was familiar, having worked here for quite a few years. He smiled at her, “Morning,” he greeted, “What’s up?”

“I have a silly question,” she said, glancing at her computer screen for a moment. “Did you come in late last Tuesday?”

Neamhni furrowed his eyebrows. He’d only dropped into the precinct a few times since breaking his ribs, but he’d been with Gray on Tuesday night. “No, I didn’t,” he said. “Why?”

The woman looked surprised at that. “Oh,” she said, turning to look at her screen again. “I thought that-hmm.” Neamhni didn’t like the look of her expression; it wasn’t often that he saw her that baffled. “It’s just that – according to our system you were here, but there was no record of you passing through this door, so I thought it may have been a glitch, but…” She flicked through a few more things, while Neamhni waited, just as confused as she was, before she turned back and said, “You know what, I’ll look into it and let you know what I find – it could just be my computer messing up again. The security sector will know.”

Neamhni nodded at her, “Good idea, I definitely wasn’t here on Tuesday. River was though,” he added, “I don’t know how late he would have stayed, but.”

The woman smiled at him, “That’s fine, thanks Neamhni.”

He waved at her as he moved to walk through the door, “No problem." 

It hadn’t taken long to find River – the Irish accent was quite easy to pick out from around the corner. He was talking to a few others, and the minute Neamhni caught the man’s eye, he was signaling to one of the back rooms.

“What, right now?” River asked, looking slightly annoyed that Neamhni had interrupted the conversation.

“Yes, right now,” The faunus responded, “You’re gonna want to hear this.” With a slight roll of the eyes, River had followed him, and the door had shut behind them.

-

“What?!”

River had jumped out of his seat, slamming his hands on the table between them. If that wasn’t enough evidence of his surprise, the look on his face certainly was. Neamhni had hoped he’d be excited over the fact that they could finally catch their Boogeyman, but his first words were, “You’ve been talking to Buralo?!”

Neamhni glanced to the side, “He came to me,” he explained, leaving out the details. “He was forced into it, and now he wants out, and we can take down his boss. River, this is huge! We can ambush him and finally know who this guy is, and the whole Alliance will fall apart. With Gray on our side, this plan is foolproof.”

He could tell that River was tempted. The opportunity was too good. “What plan, exactly?”

Neamhni jumped into everything that he and Gray had discussed the day before. It didn’t have too many twists and turns, but he stressed each point that was critical, one of them being that there could only be three of them. River didn’t like the sound of that.

“What, we can’t even bring Gum and Tarragon to hide outside?” he asked. 

Neamhni shook his head. “It’s too risky. How do you think this guy evaded us for so long? He knows everything, and he knows that we wouldn’t make any move without it being from all of us.”

Neamhni could remember what Gray had said about his boss yesterday. _“This guy isn_ _’t going to be easy to beat_ _– he_ _’s a criminal mastermind, the smartest man I_ _’ve ever met._ _”_

With the right planning, though, they could be smarter.

“We have the upper hand,” Neamhni explained. “We have Gray, and with his help we can take down the whole Alliance. Come on River, just the three of us, it’s perfect.”

River was tapping his fingers on the table, as he rested his chin on his palm. “I don’t know Neamhni, how do we know we can even trust this guy?”

Neamhni knew exactly why. It was in the way Gray had treated him when he was injured, the way he thanked him after Neamhni had helped him, the way had said his name like an admission, the way he had looked at him when asking for help.

Neamhni leant forwards on the table, “River, trust _me._ ”


	16. Chapter 16

A couple of days later, Gray was walking down the street, approaching Neamhni’s apartment block. He hadn’t seen the man since the day they had sat and planned together, but honestly he’d needed the space. He had spent a lot of time going through everything in his head, double-checking every possible repercussion for what he was about to do. Things could turn out _very_ badly if he screwed this up.

This time when he reached Neamhni’s residence, he took the front staircase – a way he’d never gone before. At least he didn’t have to fake looking confused when the staircase branched out and he had to figure out which way to go to get to Neamhni’s door.

It felt strange that he didn’t need to sneak in this time, and even stranger when he reached the door, paused awkwardly, and then knocked. There was the sound of shuffling from inside, and some muffled voices, before the door was pulled open, and Neamhni smiled at him, “Hey.”

Gray could see blue hair just behind the man, and shoved his hands into his pockets, not quite knowing how he was to act. “Hi.” While they hadn’t discussed it though, he knew one thing: River wasn’t to know that they’d been seeing each other since the incident at the warehouse. As far as the man knew, Gray had approached Neamhni out of the blue, and asked for his help. He could deal with that.

Neamhni let him in, and as Gray walked past, he saw River leaning against the kitchen bench, his arms folded. Despite feeling just a little out of place in a house he’d been very welcome in recently, he couldn’t help but crack a smug smile for just a moment.

“River Glas, I’ve heard a lot about you,” he greeted.

River didn’t unfold his arms. “I could say the same for you, Buralo.” The tone of his voice suggested that what he had heard was of a very different nature.

Neamhni could sense the tension, so he decided to walk up to stand beside Gray. “Right, do we want to run through this plan, then?”

River kept his gaze on Gray for a few moments, before pushing off the bench as the three took their seats at the table. Gray pulled out what appeared to be a more detailed drawing of the building they were ambushing, and Neamhni helped him lay it out on the table. River took it all in; the easy front entrance that Gray would stroll through, the staircase assigned to him at the side of the building, and the route up to the rooftop that Neamhni would take, before dropping down inside.

“What do you think?” Neamhni asked him.

River let out a deep sigh, his eyes grazing over it numerous times. “I think we need Gum and Tarragon,” he said honestly.

Gray was already shaking his head, “It’s too risky. If we have any chance at pulling this off, its with the three of us.”

River moved his gaze to the gang leader, “And what if things don’t go to plan? We’ll be screwed. We need backup.” He turned to look at his teammate, knowing Neamhni would understand better than Gray would. “Can we at least have them on standby?”

Neamhni glanced at Gray. Gray chewed on his lip and looked down at the drawing. “I don’t know,” Neamhni said eventually, turning back to River. “Something tells me its better if we keep this a small mission. If things don’t go to plan we can retreat. Gray can cover us,” The hare faunus then glanced at said man, “Right?”

Gray didn’t hesitate, “Of course." 

So here they were, River and his teammate, working with the outsider, yet somehow he felt like Gray and Neamhni were already their own team, and he was the outsider. He wasn’t even sure if he wanted to go through with this yet, but he knew it was the only chance they had at catching their Boogeyman. His only problem was Gray.

Luckily, Neamhni had to go to the door when Pam decided to show up with something she baked and had far too much of, so as soon as he’d disappeared out of ear shot, River leant forwards on the table.

“Look, I just need to make one thing clear,” he said in a low voice, eye’s never leaving Gray’s. “If you’re not one hundred percent with us, your ass is mine." 

A thought that was very inappropriate for this context popped into Gray’s mind, and if he had been talking to Neamhni he may have said it, but he didn’t. Instead, he kept his gaze even, “I know that,” he responded.

“And if I’m going to do this,” River added, “I need to be certain that you won’t drop off at the first sign of something going wrong. Because if anything happens to-”

“Neamhni,” Gray cut in, nodding. “If anything happens to him, I’m dead. I know.” _Trust me, I know._

River leant back in his seat, somewhat satisfied. “Alright.” He looked down at the drawing one more time, “What do we do when we get in?”

-

The sun shone high in the sky as Neamhni walked toward the docks, his mind clear and ready. He was back in his huntsman gear – something he had missed in the past several weeks – and Umbra bolt was comfortably strapped to his back. Today was the day they made their move, and it could either mean their victory over Sovereign Alliance, or…something else. Neamhni wasn’t quite sure what would happen if they failed, but he was quite confident that they wouldn’t. Even if things didn’t go to plan, they could always fall back, and Gray could cover them until they were safe. It would work. They could make it work.

Neamhni was headed for warehouse seventeen. Right at the end of the docks, it wasn’t used anymore, and mainly housed all of the machinery and equipment that was no longer needed, having been abandoned some time ago. The huntsman had been confused as to why this meeting was happening in the middle of the day, but Gray had explained that his boss was always odd with his timing. Conspicuously inconspicuous was it? He supposed if anyone were to be looking for a gang leader and underworld kingpin meeting it would be in the dead of night.

Neamhni had just reached the docks when his scroll started buzzing. Thinking it was Gray or River, he pulled it out, only to see a number that belonged to the station. He figured he should probably answer it.

When he did, he realized it was the girl from reception, who he’d spoken to when he’d gone in to find River. “How’s it going?” he asked as a greeting, continuing to walk.

 _“Not bad,_ _”_ she replied _,_ _“I_ _’ve got some more information on Tuesday night that you might find interesting, though._ _”_

“Oh yeah? What’s that?” He didn’t have heaps of time to talk, and he quickly moved his scroll away from his ear to check the time. 

_“Security says that there_ _’s a lapse in their footage around the same time that your scroll was registered in the system, which could mean one of two things. Either there was a major glitch, or we have something suspicious to look into. I_ _’ve been trying to see if there_ _’s a possibility of someone else_ _’s scroll registering as yours, but I_ _’ve got nothing so far._ _”_

Not like Neamhni didn’t have enough to deal with already. “Great,” he responded sarcastically, before letting out a sigh, he was supposed to be meeting Gray and River right about now, and he picked up his pace, “Alright, I’ll come in tomorrow and have a look into it, thanks for telling me.”

He hastily hung up, and weaved in between the warehouses, making his way towards the end of the docks. He didn’t have time to be thinking about the precinct’s problems. He reached warehouse sixteen, and ducked in behind a shipping container, where he saw River’s blue hair from behind a stack of crates.

He caught that man’s attention and slipped in beside him, and just as River began to ask where Gray was, a figure dropped down from above them, landing in a crouch right in front of them.

“Afternoon fellas,” He greeted with a grin. “Are we ready to do this?”

Neamhni shared a look with River, before they both turned back to him with a definitive nod.

“Alright,” Gray rubbed his hands together, “Do you remember where you’re going?” They both nodded, but Gray elaborated anyway, “River, your entrance is down around there,” he signaled to his right, where River would loop around warehouse sixteen and approach seventeen from the east. “Neamhni, your route goes around there,” he pointed to his left, where just behind warehouse sixteen was where his climb to the roof started on the western side.

They both nodded, and Neamhni turned to River, “Gum and Tarragon don’t know we’re here?” he asked him. The last thing he needed was for them to suddenly appear and ruin their plans. Sure, they were his team and he trusted them with his life, but they hadn’t been worked into this plan, and he needed it to stay that way in order for this to work.

River shook his head, “I didn’t tell them.”

Neamhni smiled at his teammate, before raising a fist to bump against River’s, “Good, let’s do this." 

So with that, the small group began their mission. River had disappeared around the corner before Neamhni had even blinked, and just as he was about to duck around the way he needed to go, he felt a hand grab hold of his wrist.

“Nea?” 

He turned back to Gray, perplexed as to why the man had stopped him, but still unable to get over the nickname. “Yeah?”

Gray kept his gaze for a moment, silver eyes bright in the sunlight, and he opened his mouth to say something. Before he could get the words out though, Gray looked away. “Nevermind,” he said eventually, letting go of Neamhni’s wrist. He glanced back at him, “Good luck.”

Neamhni was about to respond, but Gray had already run off, heading towards the main entrance of warehouse seventeen. Neamhni let out a sigh, before heading towards his destination on the western side. Whatever had been going on with Gray in the last few weeks was irrelevant at the moment, for now was the part that mattered.

As Gray began to head towards the main entrance where Shade was expecting him to enter, he tried to clear his mind, focusing only on the Hellhounds. Preparing himself for what he knew would be a difficult encounter, he straightened his shoulders, _I_ _’m doing this for them._


	17. Chapter 17

Neamhni was somewhat annoyed at himself for not at least getting a few workouts in before this mission, as his weeks stuck at home had affected his physicality. It was only slight, but enough to be an annoyance as he hauled himself up onto the roof. The fact that it was midday wasn’t helping, and he was already beginning to sweat when he reached the top. As soon as he had planted a foot on the surface of the roof, he took a moment to take in the area as well as catch his breath. There were a few vents sticking up through the concrete, but he spotted the door he was to go through.

As he made his way over he couldn’t help but think of the phone call he had received earlier. She had said that there was a lapse in their footage around the same time that his scroll had been registered in their system, which definitely sounded suspicious. But if someone had broken in, wouldn’t there have been something missing? Besides, breaking in was damn near impossible; the only way to get past the security points was with a scroll.

But according to their system, his had been used to get in. That can’t have been right, though. He had had his scroll all night. The only other person who had been near his scroll was-

A choked sound shot from Neamhni’s lips, as something slammed into his back, painfully similar to when he’d been attacked at the Schnee function. He hadn’t even had the time to react, and in a split second he was on the ground, a heavy weight holding him down and pressing his wrists into the concrete. He struggled against it, only to realize there was more than one person there.

“Get off of me!” he demanded, as he felt them take Umbra Bolt from him, and he wrenched his arm free, only for someone to slam his wrist back down onto the concrete again.

“Keep him still,” one of them grunted as he struggled against the weight.

“Easier said than done,” another said, pressing a hand to the back of his head and shoving it down against the ground. Neamhni stopped struggling. He knew those voices.

He’d barely realized that his wrists had been forced together behind his back as the horrible realization dawned on him. There were three people restraining him, and they sounded just like the Tenebris brothers.

Neamhni’s scroll had been used to break into the station.

This whole ambush was being thrown on its head.

His pulse picked up just as the panic settled into his bones. What did all of these things have in common? He didn’t even want to consider it, but it was staring him the face. It was the person who had come up with most of this plan, who had stayed with him on Tuesday night, who had introduced him to the people restraining him now.

Gray.

-

Shade stood tall and patient, his hands folded in front of him as he waited. Gray was slumped against the wall. If the situation were any different, Gray might have bothered in inquire as to why Shade could be so patient now when he had been incredibly _impatient_ the last several weeks. None of that mattered now, though. He just needed this to be over already.

“Who will arrive first, do you think?” Shade asked casually, only turning his head slightly to look down at Gray.

“Does it matter?” the Faunus grunted in response.

Shade didn’t even blink as he replied smoothly, “I bet it does to you.”

Gray didn’t have anything to say to that. They heard the sound of a door opening, and Gray’s eyes snapped over to his left, but instead of what he had expected, Viscera strutted in.

“Why are you alone?” Shade demanded, turning to face her.

Viscera shrugged him off, “Echo is dealing with it. I didn’t want to get my hands dirty today.” He kept his gaze on her for another moment or so as she made herself comfortable on a crate, before turning back to how he had been before, patient and waiting.  

Then, they heard another sound - metal crashing against brick as a door was kicked open, hitting the adjacent wall. Three sets of eyes landed on the passage that lead to the roof, as the Tenebris brothers appeared, dragging Neamhni along behind them. Hands restrained behind his back with a zip tie, he had been thrashing around and cursing at them, right up until the moment when they threw him to the ground, right in front of Shade and Gray

Neamhni’s nose was bleeding, and he had a bruise on his cheek, but the throbbing from where he had been hit wasn’t anywhere near the front of his mind as he slowly looked up at Gray, his heart pounding. He hadn’t wanted to believe it. Even when the Tenebris brothers had jumped him, there had still been some hope in him that this was all a misunderstanding.

But Gray was standing right there, arms folded over his chest, not even looking at him. The other man standing there in the mask must have been his boss, but Neamhni didn’t pay him any attention until he stepped forwards and spoke.

“Well, would you look at this,” he mused in his smooth voice, “The Huntsman has become the Hunted. How unfortunate.”

Neamhni’s mind had been too full of shock to be able to say any coherent sentences, but when he finally did manage to speak, he did so looking right at Gray. He clenched his teeth, his disbelief finally being replaced with rage. “So this was all a set up?” he asked, raising his voice so that it echoed throughout the room. When the man didn’t reply or even look at him, Neamhni felt the anger bubble in his gut. “Gray!” he yelled as a demand, eyes burning with fury.

The next thing Neamhni knew was the cold cement against his cheek as his head was shoved down as it had been before, causing the throbbing to double as it hit the ground. He’d only just been able to see Gray finally turn his head, but he was looking at Teres, who still had his hand in Neamhni’s hair. After a moment, he let go.

“I’m sorry to break this to you my rabbit friend,” The man in the mask began, “But your ambush was an ambush.”

This whole thing had been Gray’s idea, after all. Neamhni couldn’t believe it. His head snapped back to the wolf faunus leaning against the wall, “I trusted you!” he barked in fury, feeling dizzy from the amount of reshuffling his brain had endured in the last ten minutes. 

Gray still didn’t look at him, as he finally answered in a quiet, flat voice. “That was silly.”

 _That was silly._ The words flew around Neamhni’s head in circles, but as he knelt in front of Gray and his boss, only just having noticed the woman sitting off to the side, too, he didn’t think that he was silly. 

No, calling Gray that night after Lola’s hadn’t been silly. Doing his job and hanging around the man hadn’t been silly. Not even sleeping with a criminal had been silly, or accepting the booty call after his job was done. And letting himself grow so comfortable around Gray, so much so that he began to trust him, without any modicum of doubt? Still not silly.

It was downright _idiotic._ It was so completely ludicrous that it was disgraceful. Everything that he was as a huntsman felt like it had been stripped away, leaving nothing but the memory of how he had felt a handful of nights ago, when his name had spilled from those lips. _Which,_ he reminded himself, _have spat so many lies._

Neamhni felt like he was going to be sick. While he had been so caught up in the thrill of being around Gray, the man had been planning to betray him this whole time. Even on Tuesday, he had slept so comfortably beside him, right up until he slipped out with Neamhni’s scroll and broke into the station. He couldn’t believe he had woken up the next day without a damn clue. How many times had Gray used his position so close to Neamhni to his advantage?

But even now he couldn’t get over the fact of how it had all seemed so _real._ Endless moments and phrases were running through his head, and he still couldn’t pinpoint the lies. He wondered to himself when their situation had switched. His obligation had ceased after the incident at the warehouse, when Gray had found out he was a huntsman. It wasn’t long after Neamhni had confronted him, that he received the booty call. _There,_ he thought to himself, remembering the change from how cold Gray had been that night, to suddenly inviting him over. He should have been more suspicious of it, but that was just more idiocy on his part.

He was brought back to the situation full force when the man in the mask decided to speak again, “I wonder what’s taking our other guest so long,” he mused.

Neamhni almost choked from how quickly he drew in a breath then, his eyes flying wide. _“River._ _”_

The masked man seemed to take a lot of pleasure in Neamhni’s reaction, as he grinned down at the faunus. “Yes, _him._ ” He turned to Viscera, then. “I would think your _helper_ would be done by now, Marie.”

Neamhni’s gut was rolling, and he could already feel the hands trying to hold him down as he tried to get to his feet. He wasn’t very successful when there were three of them fighting against him, though, but he had to do _something._ He had walked his teammate right into a trap, and the possible repercussions of such a foolish move were making him feel _rancid._

 _I shouldn_ _’t have dragged him into this,_ his mind was screaming, _this was my mistake; don_ _’t let him pay for it._

He didn’t know which he needed more – to see River come through that door and know that he was unharmed (so far) or for his friend to never enter this room, to never face the danger that Gray and the alliance posed.

He hadn’t had time to figure out the answer, for there was a crash that echoed through the warehouse. As four heads snapped towards the door that Viscera had walked through before, a figure skidded in, sliding across the ground on top of a substance that was appearing less than a metre in front of him. Neamhni couldn’t help but feel relieved and anxious at the same – it was River, and he was unharmed. But he was far from being safe from any danger, as a woman had charged in after him, aiming to strike him with the sharp weapon that she held on her fingers that looked not unlike claws. 

“River!” Neamhni had shouted his friend’s name, only to get shoved to the ground again, his head thumping from the amount of times his skull had hit the concrete. At least with the action he was relieved from seeing River’s face when the man saw what was going on, and connected the dots in his head. By the time Neamhni was able to look up again, all he could see was the back of River’s head as he charged towards Gray, the woman with the claws still on his tail.

Viscera had stopped the woman without even moving from where she was perched, “Echo, enough.”

River had gotten confused as to why his attacker had been called off, but his sights were set on Gray, unwavering in his determination to cut him down. His eye was narrowed in fury as he swung Stail Abhainn up towards the faunus, “You fucking backstabbing son of a-”

Gray hadn’t moved an inch from where he leant against the wall, because he had heard the single word that Shade had spoken in the next moment. Just as River charged towards him, the shadows in the corner beside Gray moved, and a figure appeared.

The ground dropped from beneath Neamhni’s feet. The sound that he had meant to make in warning died in his throat, as it was too late, and instead he heard a cry of pain rip from River’s lips. 

He couldn’t breathe. No air was making its way into his lungs as he saw the blood hit the ground, a blue haired man yanking his dagger out of River’s body.

Shade was laughing, a soft musical sound that made Neamhni’s gut lurch. All he had had to do was say Nihil’s name, and the man had appeared and cut down an enemy. 

It was like time had slowed down. Neamhni couldn’t comprehend anything but the cold wave of unbearable dread that slammed into him, as he watched River fall to his knees, choking sounds passing his lips as he held his hands against the wound. Even as there was another sound of commotion elsewhere, and familiar voices exploded around them as they were joined by fellow Huntsmen, Neamhni couldn’t take his eyes off of River, and the painful truth that would stay with him from then on out. He had done this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So back to being a music junkie, the next handful of chapters has a really feelsy theme song if you will. I was constantly listening to 'Down With The Fallen' by Starset while writing these because it just fits SO WELL with these chapters (right down to the sounds you can hear at the start of the song) and to this day it still gives me major feels for my own god dang story. Seriously, listen to it.


	18. Chapter 18

Neamhni had no clue how he’d managed to get out of there. With all of Sovereign against only him and River, his hope had dwindled fast, and then completely shattered with his teammate had hit the ground.

His memory of everything after that was a blur. There was lots of yelling and commotion, and he briefly caught a glimpse of Gum and Tarragon as they charged in and saved them. He was able to guess that River had told them about it against his wishes, but he couldn’t bring himself to be at least a little annoyed about it. After all, he probably wouldn’t be sitting here in one piece if it weren’t for them, weren’t for River.

He was so tired. Not only from the physical exhaustion the ambush had given him, but also from the feeling of his integrity going through the wringer. He had put all of his trust in Gray, had wanted to do nothing but help him - so much so that he dragged River straight into a trap. Even if nobody had gotten hurt, he would still be a disgrace as a Huntsman for being so utterly foolish.

The guys at the station used to always make jokes about how he was married to his work, like they thought it impossible for him to ever put someone before it, and until recently, he’d thought the same. Now, a phone call to a wolf faunus out in West Vale told him otherwise.

After all of the commotion though, thanks to the backup that his team had brought, he and River had been dragged out of the warehouse, and the Huntsmen had put their comrades in front of their desire to finally face Sovereign, instead choosing to flee in order to get them to safety.

Neamhni had been examined by paramedics, and deemed to only have a mild concussion, while River had been rushed to the Emergency room. He still hadn’t left the hospital yet, despite being told hours ago that he was free to go home and rest. He’d had people checking on him every few hours at first, but after they were sure his concussion wasn’t severe, they had left him, and now he sat in the waiting room by himself. He was looking down at his hands silently, seeing the harsh red marks on his wrists from where the zip tie had restrained him yesterday.

Gum and Tarragon were at the station, too busy cleaning up the mess he had made to be here; in fact he couldn’t remember them saying anything in particular to him since they’d shown up at the warehouse. He was sure he would receive a lecture from one or both of them soon.

He looked up when he heard the sound of a door opening, and a doctor he had spoken to before appeared. They had been the one to inform him when River was out of surgery earlier.

“He’s in a stable condition,” they said, “You can see him if you like.”

Neamhni was already on his feet. He’d gotten all the way to the door before he stopped. He could see River, through the small glass panel. There were machines surrounding him, tubes everywhere, and he looked almost as pale as his eye patch; so very pale.

He’d stood there for a moment, watching his friend, hand hovering on the door handle, before it dropped back to his side. He couldn’t do it.

Neamhni turned and walked straight out of the hospital.

- 

Gray was sitting on one of the couches in the garage, blankly staring into space. He could see the different members of the Hellhounds hanging around – Nigel pulling a drink out of the fridge, Jenna flipping through channels on the TV, Jasper sitting quietly to the side, his eyes flicking between the Tenebris brothers, chewing on his lip. Teres was redressing the bandage on his arm, quietly cursing to himself. Unum was asleep on one of the other couches, the bruise under his eye sticking out under his fair hair. And Duos? He hadn’t moved since he’d made it back here yesterday. Somewhere during the fight when River and Neamhni had been taken out from under them, he had sprained his ankle, and it had swelled up like a balloon. He had it propped up on a chair as he lazily flipped through a newspaper, obviously not actually reading the words in front of him. 

Gray had said he didn’t want to get the Hellhounds involved, and every ounce of it had been true. But who was he kidding? They’d been involved ever since Shade had appeared in the alley the night they met. They’d been a part of it for as long as Gray had, but he hadn’t received much injury from the tussle. His old bruises were turning a yellow-brown, so they were easily distinguishable from the redness on his chin. He then raised a hand to his shoulder; it had started playing up halfway through his struggle with one of the Huntsmen. That wasn’t a surprise, though, considering how far he had pushed himself a week ago.

Nobody had bothered him since yesterday. Apparently Gray was very good at putting off an aura that said _don’t talk to me_ because every single time he needed it, he was left alone. 

Despite that, as he sat in the corner, staring off into space, he was brought to the attention of his scroll ringing. He was about ready to throw it out the window, but seeing who it was made him rethink that idea.

He was outside, near the ruins of where the building had burnt, before he answered, preparing himself for what he knew wouldn’t be a pleasant conversation. “What is it?”

 _“If you thought you could get away unscathed after that_ appalling _spectacle yesterday, you are sorely mistaken.”_ Shade was not happy. Of course he wasn’t, and even with a voice as smooth as silk, it still sounded threatening.

Gray let out a long sigh, “And why would I think that?”

 _“Because you’re a poor excuse for an ally. You made me wait for_ weeks, _Buralo. And for what? To have half of RGNT slip from our hands, and give them a lead.”_

Yes, because everything that happened yesterday was Gray’s fault, he thought sarcastically. He wanted this phone call to be over as soon as possible, “Well how do you expect me to fix it?” he asked.

There was a pause. Gray could almost feel the shift in Shade’s mood, as if the slight change in the tone of his voice spoke volumes. “After all of that,” he responded smoothly, “I expect you to go and slit his throat yourself before I _personally_ pay your boys a visit.”

The scroll almost slid straight from Gray’s hand. He hadn’t expected that. Even after everything Shade had asked of him, he had not expected that. He swallowed through a dry throat, his jaw clenched. “And why didn’t you just get Nihil to kill him at the start?” he answered. “He could have picked them all off one by one.” 

 _“Yes, he could have,”_ Shade replied, _“But they have been a constant thorn in my side since I began this operation, and I wanted them to suffer. Then I saw how fond he was of you,”_ a small chuckle sounded through Gray’s scroll then. _“You have a week. Get it done and I can leave you out of our operations for a while.”_

_Click._

_-_

Lazy feet dragged their way from the footpath towards the stairs at the front of Neamhni’s apartment complex. He had meant to go back to the hospital today, but now he just didn’t have the motivation. He couldn’t face River today, just like yesterday. Guilt had been gnawing at his insides since the moment when he’d realized he’d been fooled, and he didn’t think it would go away soon, either.

He’d been at the station that morning, but now he knew that he wouldn’t be returning for a while. After giving them a full recount of the events at warehouse seventeen, he’d gotten his longest lecture from Tarragon yet. And now, despite the fact that he would have been fit to return to work this week, he certainly would not be. He had been suspended. He was to be un-included from any and all of RGNT’s operations for the time being, and most of all, their conflict against Sovereign Alliance.

Honestly, it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but it was still such a horrible feeling to have to hand in his scroll for his security level to be lowered. _Idiot,_ he thought to himself, _such a fucking idiot._

So, RGNT was a mess. River was still in intensive care, Gum flat out wouldn’t talk to him and Tarragon had created a new kind of furious. It was an all time low for their team, and made their screw up at the Schnee function look like a chipped glass against the ashes of a burning building.

It was just as Neamhni reached the second story landing that he heard a familiar voice call out to him in a tone that wasn’t very nice.

“Nobody wants what you’re selling!" 

Neamhni had blinked in the direction he had heard it come from, and saw his neighbor-bless her-standing in her doorway, waving her cane at him.

He let out a sigh, as he walked towards her. “Pam, it’s me, I _live_ here.”

Recognition must have hit her then, “Oh, Neamhni!” She said in much more pleasant tone, “Sorry dear, that damn tie of yours makes you look like a salesman,” she explained. Neamhni raised an eyebrow. _And that’s more noticeable than my Faunus ears?_ Not to mention he wore that tie almost every day to work.

“Maybe your eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be,” he joked in response, before noticing something. He creased his eyebrows, “Where are your glasses?”

Pam shifted her weight, and lifted a hand to put a strand of white hair behind her ear. “I may have misplaced them,” she replied.

He was expecting this. “Are they on the kitchen table?” he asked. He waited patiently as Pam waddled back inside and manhandled her table for a moment, before finding her glasses.

“Ah! Here they are! Trust you to know that, Neamhni,” she said happily. He was about to turn and walk to his door, but she spoke again. “Also,” she began to waddle back to the door, her glasses now on. “Who was that young man here last week? The wolf faunus?”

The first thing that popped into his head, was the thought, _how did you know he was a wolf faunus when you can’t even find your slippers in the morning?_

Usually he would have mentioned a thought like that out loud – Pam was always surprisingly fast when it came to her wit – but the mention of Gray sent his mood spiraling again.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, “Nobody important.” He forcefully moved to end the conversation then, as he turned to walk towards his door.

“Did you like the lemon slice at least?” She called out after him, referring to what she had brought round on the very day that Neamhni had been planning with River and Gray. 

“Yes,” he said over his shoulder, “Thank you.”

And then his door was closed.

-

Nigel had been the closest to the door when it finally squealed open, and Gray stepped in. He’d been gone for hours, and now he returned with bloody knuckles and tousled hair – not the most flattering look on him.

“And where the hell have you been?” Nigel said, standing up to greet him.

Gray didn’t look at him as he walked past, “What are you, my mother now?”

The retort was thrown back instantly, “May as well be, I cleaned up your mess this morning.”

Gray stopped and instantly looked over to the couch he had been sprawled on the night before, where there had ben a pile of beer cans strewn around it. They were all gone, now. He was already reaching for the cigarettes in his pocket when he answered, “I was going to do that when I got back,” he muttered.

Nigel was suddenly in front of him, snatching the box straight out of Gray’s hand. “This is ridiculous,” he said. “You’re supposed to be our leader, Gray. Jasper looks up to you, hell everyone looks up to you, and here you are fucking off every other day to do god knows what, while we’re left in the dark. Right now all you’re leading is ants into the garage.”

Gray clenched his jaw, and in the next moment, he’d snatched the box back off of Nigel, and grabbed him by the collar, “Why don’t I go and order you to kill someone you-” He cut himself off. He couldn’t believe what he had just been about to say. “Someone you don’t want to,” he finished, before releasing Nigel’s collar. It was plain from the expression on his face that he regretted that. He may be a violent person, but he’d never acted violently to any of the Hellhounds, ever. He placed a cigarette between his lips and brushed past Nigel, then, and the man let him, as he walked out the door.

Duos was the first to notice the expression on Nigel’s face. “What is it?” he asked, “What did he say?”

Nigel seemed to understand, now. He turned away from the door, noticing that more than one pair of eyes were trained on him. “He’s been ordered to kill someone.”


	19. Chapter 19

“Ordered to kill someone?” Jasper’s ears stuck straight up. “By who?”

Jenna threw him one of the cans she’d just grabbed from the fridge. “Probably that ‘partner’ of ours,” she said as she sat down. 

“I wouldn’t call him a ‘partner’,” Unum spoke up from his place beside Duos, who jumped in next.

"He’s more of a boss.” 

Nigel had sat back down near the door, “And how the hell did Gray come to have a boss?” he asked, unable to think of how the man could stand working under someone. 

Teres shrugged his shoulders from where he stood leaning against the wall, “We don’t know, but it hasn’t been entirely one sided.”

When someone spoke up and asked what that meant, Duos answered. “We’re part of some underworld Alliance, Gray doesn’t like to talk about it but it’s not the worst connection to have. Shade has saved our asses from the law a few times.”

“And now he wants Gray to kill someone?” Nigel asked, memories floating up to the front of his mind. They all knew that Gray had killed people before-and he wasn’t the only one-but it was quite obvious that he was opposed to this.

Jasper leant forwards in his seat, anxious in his words. “Who? One of us?”

Unum shook his head, “No, it wouldn’t be one of us. Shade would get nothing out of that. It’s probably someone from RGNT.”

Jenna had been throwing recent memories around in her head, and then she remembered her conversation with Gray from last Tuesday. Her eyebrows shot up as she realized, “The Rabbit.” 

All the eyes in the room shot to her, and she looked between the Tenebris brothers. They had been there at warehouse seventeen, after all.

Duos began to nod, “It has to be." 

Nigel then spoke up, “Just so I’ve got this straight,” he said, “What exactly happened two days ago?”

The Tenebris brothers took turns at explaining all that they knew. As it turns out, they had been in the dark about it all until just before the ambush, when Gray had approached them and told them briefly that he needed them to assist him at the warehouse. Until then, they too had been oblivious to Shade’s ‘favor’. Gray had asked them to keep quiet about it, but they figured the Hellhounds deserved to know.

Nigel was just as confused about it as the others. He remembered the night he’d first seen Neamhni show up at the bar, had watched Gray leave with him a few hours later. Not just that night, either, there were plenty more in his memory, and they all seemed to stand out to him. He’d seen Gray walk out of that bar with numerous other men, but Neamhni had become a constant. Maybe that was the reason Gray didn’t want to kill him.

“So, if Gray doesn’t want to kill him,” he said then, looking around at the Hellhounds, “What happens if he doesn’t?”

Everyone looked at each other for an answer, but there was none. It was Unum who shrugged and shook his head, “We don’t know.” 

- 

_Beep, beep, breathe in, beep, beep, and breathe out._

That was all that River had been hearing for who knows how long. Just constant beeps over the top of the hustle and bustle outside his door. He felt so weak, and so tired. Everything hurt. How much longer was he going to be in here for?

He’d been in and out of consciousness constantly. He barely knew what day it was, let alone the time. He hated it. He wanted to get out of here, to go back to his team, his family.

His circle of thoughts was gladly interrupted when the door opened, and a nurse came in. She asked him how he was feeling as she checked on the machines surrounding him, and he answered honestly.

He then asked, “Has anyone visited?”

She stopped her fiddling to look down at him, “Your brother has been in a few times. He was very…upset.” River wished he could have been awake for that. Maybe he would come again soon and he could do his best to assure Coil that he may be down, but definitely not out.

“Anyone else?”

The nurse thought to herself for a moment, “A faunus came in with you, didn’t he?”

Of course River didn’t remember coming to the hospital, but there was only one faunus that she could have been talking about. “Neamhni,” he said. “Rabbit ears?”

She nodded, “Yes, he’s been here a few times, too. Only…” she looked quite confused. “He hasn’t actually come in. He’s just sat outside and then left every time.”

-

The moon shone high in the sky as Gray ducked out the side door of the club, hearing the string of curses fade behind him as the door swung shut. He’d only had a few drinks, but apparently it was enough to start picking fights. Not that it was his fault, he thought, he wasn’t the one who was harassing every second person in there. That guy had just been asking for someone to deck him in the face.

He decided he was overdue for a smoke anyway, and so leant against the hard brick wall of the building as he fished the box out of his pocket. His knuckles were barely healed from what he’d done to them a couple days ago, and thanks to missing a punch and hitting a mirror, they were bleeding again. He scowled at his hand as he lifted a cigarette to his lips, wondering when he’d be unlucky enough to get king hit and not wake up again.

He’d only been standing there for a few minutes when the door to the pub next door swung open, and at first he hadn’t paid any attention to whomever it was that walked out. That is, until they stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing him.

Gray was half way through a puff when he lifted his eyes to the person, and his breath caught in his throat.

Even in the shadows of the alley, it was obvious who it was, for there was a pair of hare ears on top of his head. _Neamhni._

Gray had taken a sharp, startled breath, and instantly began to choke as he almost inhaled his cigarette, but that didn’t stop Neamhni from charging straight towards him. 

“You _fucking_ asshole!” All Gray had seen were those eyes blazing with fury, before his back slammed against the wall. The cigarette had slipped from his lips, and he may have been able to stop coughing on his own if Neamhni’s hand hadn’t pressed into the base of his throat. He couldn’t manage to say anything; all he could do was cough and splutter.

The rage in Neamhni’s eyes was like an uncontrollable fire, as everything Gray had said to him before the ambush flew across his mind. “I _trusted_ you!” He ground out between his teeth; “I lied to my _fucking_ team for you, and you lead us straight into a god damn trap!” Gray’s eyes were wide as he tried to catch his breath, and Neamhni pressed his hand into his throat harder. Now he wasn’t just choking on the smoke, he was being denied air.

“River almost _died_ because of you,” Neamhni continued, his stare so harsh it could turn the hardest of statues to dust. Each sentence sounded like a menacing growl. “You just stood there and fucking watched it happen.” Neamhni was ready for Gray to lash out at him with his claws at any minute-that must have been the reason he wasn’t trying to grab at Neamhni’s hand-but he just stood there and took it. His eyes were wide and panicked but he didn’t try to stop it.

“I should kill your worthless ass right now,” Neamhni ground out through his teeth. 

Gray’s gaze focused on the Hare faunus then, as harsh as he could manage with Neamhni’s hand against his throat. “Do it,” he choked out.

It wasn’t the first time Gray had actually told Neamhni to kill him. The last time, it had been outside Gray’s apartment, when he’d put his knuckledusters on the man’s wrist and brought it to his own chest. Back then he had been certain that Neamhni wouldn’t do it.

Right now, the uncontrolled rage in his eyes suggested that he would.

Neamhni’s gaze was hard and unwavering as he held Gray against the wall, and all he had to do was press in just a little harder and Gray wouldn’t be able to breathe at all. There was a voice in his head echoing the words that the wolf faunus had just said. It was making him think of River, in a hospital bed, and the feeling of the zip tie digging into his wrists back at the warehouse. _Do it._

He thought of other moments, then. The light hearted jabs and jokes thrown about when they first started seeing each other, the panic in Gray’s voice when they’d been jumped at the warehouse, the divine way his name had spilled from those lips just over a week ago…and the conversation they’d had afterwards. 

_‘You were going to let me.’_

_-_

Neamhni let him go.

Gray fell to his knees, coughing and gasping for air as he tried to regain his breath, having been beginning to see stars moments before. It wasn’t the first time he had been choked, but it was still a horrible experience, and the discomfort was hard to shake afterwards. Even so, as his lungs heaved for air, his hands braced against the ground, he thought, _I deserved that._

His coughing turned into a sadistic laugh, before he rasped, “You’re just as weak as I am.” His voice was rough and breathy, but Neamhni still heard him clearly.

Despite the fact that he was no longer choking the man, he was still extremely angry, and the tone of his voice conveyed that well. “And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he spat. He watched Gray gain his breath back, the man’s chest rising and falling gratefully with the air in his lungs, and finally he was able to stand again, that smug smile back on his face as he pushed his fringe back.

“You wouldn’t believe a word I said, anyway,” he said, voice still rough. Neamhni tried not to compare it to Gray’s just-woken-up voice that he had come to enjoy the sound of.

Neamhni’s hands were balled into fists, “That’s the first true thing I’ve heard you say,” he ground out between his teeth. 

Gray knew there was no point trying to reason with Neamhni, so he just went with it with his own snark, “It’s not completely foreign to me, believe it or not.”

He hadn’t been ready to face Neamhni yet. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do, or say, and he was still recovering from almost being choked out, feeling a little light headed. He still had a few more days. “Now get lost,” he said. “I _was_ trying to enjoy a smoke.”

Neamhni didn’t move, “What then, you’ll come after Gum and Tarragon with that boss of yours? You’ll find River and finish the job? Oh…” the parallels were staggering as he spoke his next few words, his tone nothing but cynical. “Have you been ordered to kill me yet?”

Gray could remember saying those exact words to him, and he knew that Neamhni chose to say it that way on purpose, to mock him. He couldn’t say anything in response. He just stood there, avoiding the man’s gaze, his hands now closed into fists and his jaw locked tight. Neamhni watched him for a moment, wondering why he hadn’t answered, but the change in his demeanor made it obvious.

Gray wished he had been able to think up some smart remark, but it was too late anyway. Neamhni’s eyes widened a fraction, “You have…” he murmured, “Haven’t you?”

He stared at the wolf faunus for a few more moments, before Gray turned his head, as if trying to avoid him even more now. His hair fell back down into his eyes, “I told you,” he ground out through his teeth, “To get lost.”


	20. Chapter 20

Steam wafted through the bathroom as Gray ducked his head under the shower nozzle, letting the water cascade around him however it fell. His mind hadn’t been able to shut up ever since his encounter with Neamhni in the alley – his pulse had barely even slowed down yet. He’d jumped in the shower the minute he’d gotten home, but now all he could do was continue to think about it. He’d never seen Neamhni so furious before, and if Gray hadn’t been used to facing threatening foes, he may have been pinned down by the terrifying hard looks the man had given him. Maybe if he were younger, a feisty faunus teen who was all bark and no bite, he would have shook in his boots, but he was able to face the man head on. Well, mostly.

_Neamhni had stood his ground, making no move to leave, as Gray had demanded. Instead, his eyes narrowed in a challenge. Gray knew that look-not because he had seen Neamhni make that look before, but because he had done it himself so many times. It was the same look he would have when he was looking to pick a fight._

_“Why not do it right now?” Neamhni challenged, throwing his arms wide. That fierce look in his eyes wasn’t letting up. Gray wondered how many people the huntsman had reduced just by looking at them like that. With his line of work, it was probably many. “Why not get it over and done with and finish the job you started?” Gray still wasn’t looking at him, but he kept talking, “You can’t have any loose ends, after a-”_

Gray could barely remember the moment he had snapped, even though it was less than an hour ago. One minute he had been avoiding Neamhni’s gaze, trying to ignore him and his words, and then the next he had lashed out.

_“I said GET LOST!”_

_Gray darted forwards and tried to shove at Neamhni, unable to listen to the man talk anymore. Instead of stumbling into the opposite wall like any other person would though, the Huntsman grabbed him by the shoulders, and they grappled against each other. Gray clenched his teeth together in frustration as he tried to push Neamhni away, but he was – unsurprisingly – quite strong. Gray tried to throw his weight to the side, and the next thing they were on the ground, cursing and tussling on the bitumen. Neamhni gained the upper hand as he pressed Gray into the asphalt, and he threw a punch, but the wolf faunus moved his head at the last minute, and he hit the ground instead._

They had fought against each other like that for a few minutes, and Gray had hated every moment of it. It wasn’t until he’d managed to throw the man off of him and put his claws to Neamhni’s throat that it had all stopped.

_Chests were heaving and tension was high as Neamhni stared at the sharp metal only inches from his neck. His back was on the ground now, and Gray’s elbow was digging into his solar plexus, not a very comfortable feeling._

_It had taken a few moments for either of them to say anything. When it did happen, it was Gray. “If you know what’s good for you,” he rasped, still breathing heavily, “You’ll get the fuck out of Vale.”_

Gray turned the water off. He needed some sort of distraction otherwise he’d be thinking about it all night. Perhaps he should have done or said something else before he got off of Neamhni and escaped from the alley. He closed his eyes for a moment, before stepping out of the shower. He still had a few more days. He still had time to figure something out – even if it was miniscule. He couldn’t pin his hopes on Neamhni following his advice anyway; in fact he knew that the man wouldn’t. What did his word count for anyway?

 _Absolutely nothing,_ he reminded himself as he walked out of the bathroom. He was more than a little surprised to find that he had guests as the living room came into view. Unum and Teres were lounging on the couch, their brother obviously having been left behind with his swollen ankle. They didn’t try to hide the reason they were there under any pleasantries.

“So,” Teres said, standing up to face him, “You’ve been ordered to kill Neamhni, haven’t you?”

Surely the whole world was against him, now. Gray was not prepared for this conversation, _especially_ not with these two. He couldn’t hide his discomfort as he walked towards the kitchen, but he decided to answer honestly – as if he could ever manage to lie to them, anyway. He pushed his fringe back, not turning to look at them. “Yes.”

Unum stood up next to his brother, leaning against the arm of the couch, “But you’re not going to.”

Gray still wasn’t looking at them as he grabbed the pack of cigarettes from the bench, and he didn’t move to answer. Despite the silence, Teres jumped in with their next question, “What happens if you don’t?”

Gray was fumbling for his lighter – why did they have to be asking him this now, he just wanted to sleep-

“Gray.”

Silver eyes snapped up to the two brothers. They were both watching him intently, needing to hear the answer. Unum spoke slowly and clearly as he repeated it. “What happens if you don’t?”

They didn’t know the reason why Gray had joined the Alliance. They didn’t know why he had suddenly decided to go along with Shade’s plan. They didn’t even know why he’d suddenly turned on someone he appeared to enjoy the company of. He could never turn on the Hellhounds, though. He could never break his promise.

He could remember a conversation he’d had many years ago, as a determined, fiery young teen. He’d been so much more hopeful back then, but his resolve was still the same. _“This isn’t just any old street gang,”_ he’d said. _“And as long as I’m around, nobody will be able to touch any of them. That’s what a leader does. He protects his friends, his family.”_  

Gray stared at the bench, knowing that the Tenebris brothers wouldn’t give up until they got some form of answer. He lit up his cigarette and blew out a long breath of smoke before he spoke. “He’s going to take something I can’t afford to lose.”

-

Jasper fidgeted in his seat as he looked around at the rest of the Hellhounds, wondering why Gray had asked them all to gather at the garage so suddenly. A lot of them hung around here most of the time anyway, but Unum and Teres had passed on the message that Gray wanted to talk to them all. The topic of that, he had no clue, but most of the faunus could take a wild guess.

When Gray finally showed up, the chatting came to a stop. Everyone was looking at him expectantly. He stood at the end of the room near the door and addressed the Hellhounds as their leader.

“I probably haven’t been sharing as much information with you all as I should be,” he admitted. “So I’m going to fix that right now.” He straightened his shoulders, running a hand through his hair as he let out a short sigh.

“This…partner of ours,” he began, “He’s not much of a partner. Shade started Sovereign Alliance as a way of gaining control of Vale’s underworld. He needed connections everywhere – from a highly secretive league of assassins, down to…the street rats, as he so wonderfully described. When he came to me and requested that the Hellhounds join the Alliance, I originally said no. He offered me power, connections, and I said no, because we built this up together, we worked hard to get where we are now, and we never needed anyone else.” He could see them all nodding, sharing the same ideal, which made him proud for a moment.

“But,” there was always a but, “Shade wasn’t going to take no for an answer. With his status in both the underworld and the public eye, he’s rarely ever turned down, and will do anything to get his way, including making threats. He finds out what makes you tick and gets under your skin until you can’t say no.”

To this day, Gray still had no clue how Shade found out all of his information. The motherfucker just always _knew_ and it was infuriating.

“So,” he continued, “I joined him, and wanted to keep all of you as far away from the Alliance as possible. Of course, with the favors he called in,” Gray glanced over at Jenna and Jasper for a moment, before looking at the Tenebris brothers, “That wasn’t really possible.” 

Everyone was listening intently, taking in each word he said. He was filling in the gaps in their knowledge, and they were grateful for that.

“Now,” he continued, “Shade wants me to kill someone, and I’m pretty sure you’ve all figured out who it is,” he looked to the Tenebris brothers, and they nodded, confirming that everyone had guessed.

He lifted his shoulders in an innocent motion of defeat, “I can’t do it,” he admitted. “And frankly I’m sick of being Shade’s lap dog,” he used that particular phrase purposely. “I’m done with being held on a leash.” He looked around at the group and saw the approval on their faces, but he wasn’t done yet. “Only thing is,” he said, “There’s a price for disobeying him. Which puts you all in danger.”

Everyone looked surprised at that, and slightly confused, as how could all of them be the price? Surely Shade couldn’t get them all. Gray decided he needed to stop being cryptic about it. He closed his eyes for a moment, “More specifically,” he turned to look at the Tenebris brothers, “You three.”

It wasn’t often that he saw them get surprised, and the fact that they had been singled out certainly had that affect. They could easily remember the words Gray had used the night prior. _Something I can’t afford to lose._ The sentiment had always been evident there, but not particularly spoken out loud before. They’d never been ones to openly share their feelings on the subject, either, but he knew it went both ways.

“So,” Gray continued, his gaze moving back to look at the group as a whole, “That’s why we’re disbanding.”

-

Neamhni took in a deep breath, and opened his eyes again. Before he could talk himself out of it, he turned the door handle and walked into River’s room. Everything was white, and the place smelt like disinfectant, but at least there was a little more colour in his friend’s face, now. His throat felt tight as the man noticed him entering the room, but the tension in his shoulders relaxed the minute River smiled at him.

The hospital gown he wore was almost the same colour as his hair, Neamhni noted with amusement. River was sitting up in his bed, now, the food he’d been given by the nurse sitting on a tray beside the bed, half eaten. “Hey,” he said, looking glad to finally see his teammate.

Neamhni’s throat still felt dry, but he managed to reply, “Hey.” He stood there for a moment, before walking over, and taking a seat on the chair beside River’s bed. He could hear the machines beeping away; see his heart monitor respond to each beat. “How are you feeling?”

River glanced to the side for a moment, “Getting there,” he responded honestly. He could see that Neamhni looked uncomfortable, guilty even. He didn’t want to beat around the bush. “Why is it that you’ve never come in until now?” he asked.

Neamhni was caught off guard by the sudden question, and he glanced up at River in surprise for a moment, before ducking his head again. “I-um,” he didn’t exactly know how to respond. He let out a short sigh, “I’m sorry,” he said. “I understand if you…dislike me, now. To put it lightly.”

River shook his head, “Not you, Neamhni.” He looked his friend in the eye, then. “Him.” 

 _Gray._ Neamhni suddenly thought of what happened the night prior. He could still feel the rage that had bubbled up in his gut when he’d slammed the man against the wall. He lifted his hand to scratch at the back of his head, and River creased his eyebrows.

“What’s that from?” he asked. Neamhni blinked, and then looked at his hand. His knuckles were all scratched up from when he’d tried to punch Gray last night, and hit the bitumen. It had happened more than once, too.

He let out a dry laugh, “Buralo.” He lowered his hand. “I uh, ran into him last night.” River seemed quite surprised at that, and also very interested. “I almost choked him to death,” he offered in explanation. There was the word that caught River’s attention, though. _Almost._

He had understanding in his eyes, “But you couldn’t do it,” he said. It wasn’t even a question. Neamhni shook his head, looking at the machines beside River. “You know, I knew there was something more going on there,” he said then, causing Neamhni to look up at him in surprise. _He knew?_ “You wouldn’t have trusted him so easily, otherwise.”

Of course. Trust River to figure that out. Neamhni didn’t really know what to say. Luckily for him, River spoke again. “What happened after you let him go?”

Neamhni remembered watching Gray heave for air on the ground, the most vulnerable state he’d ever seen him in. He could have easily swung a hard kick into his ribs and sent him sprawling, but instead he’d waited, right until Gray had said with a raspy voice, _“You’re just as weak as I am.”_

“We brawled,” he said. “He still got the better of me. But he didn’t-” Those claws had been right against his neck and yet Gray still hadn’t finished the job. “He just told me to leave Vale, and then he disappeared.” He finished with a shrug.

River raised an eyebrow, “Why did he tell you to leave Vale?”

Neamhni looked down at his hands. “Because he’s been ordered to kill me.”


	21. Chapter 21

The reaction from all of the faunus in the garage was instant. Hands were thrown into the air, voices rose up from the silence, and all expressions were of disbelief.

“Disbanding?” Despite being one of the smallest, Jenna’s voice had been the loudest. “But we can’t-”

Gray held up a hand, “Not permanently,” he cut in, needing them to understand that it wasn’t what they thought. “Just for a short while. Shade is a very powerful and dangerous man, and I don’t want a single one of you anywhere near this when I face him. As soon as he knows I’m opting out, he will come after whomever he can find. So, starting Friday, the garage is off limits. Lay low; find a place where you can be safe, and stay away from here. Once this is all over, we can do whatever we want.”

As Gray spoke, the outrage and disbelief on their faces slowly disappeared. Out of all of them, he was the one who knew just how dangerous this man was, and they trusted his judgment. Despite that, it was quite obvious that they didn’t like the idea of leaving him behind.

“Trust me,” Gray said then, knowing what they were all thinking, “I’ll get this sorted, and everything will be back to normal. I just need to fix the mess that I created.”

When he finished his sentence, he glanced around at everyone. They were all looking between themselves, and the Tenebris brothers were sharing looks. Unum scratched the back of his head as he spoke up, “Are you sure you-”

“Yes,” Gray responded, already knowing what he was going to say. There was no way he was letting _them_ of all people stay, when they were the most at threat. “I’m sure." 

- 

“So what are you going to do?” River asked, having recovered from his shock over what Neamhni had just told him.

The faunus raised his shoulders in a shrug, “I’ve been suspended, so I’ve got nothing to do with the Alliance anymore - it’s up to Gum and Tarragon, now. As for Gray…” Neamhni remembered those claws sitting only inches from his throat, and that was just after he’d been minutes away from choking Gray to death, too. _If he were going to kill me, he would have done it then, wouldn_ _’t he?_ “I’ll deal with whatever comes my way when that happens.”

River seemed to have the same thoughts going through his own head, “So he’s been ordered to kill you, yet when he had his chance, he didn’t?” he asked. Neamhni nodded, and River chewed on his lip as he thought to himself for a moment. “What exactly…did happen between you two after you were revealed as a Huntsman?”

Neamhni’s eyebrows lifted, as memories from the last few months flew through his mind. Gray’s phone call, his hand grasping at the sheets of the man’s bed, wrapping a bandage around a wound on his arm, seeing the faunus appear outside his window…and then there was the state he’d shown up in after ‘teaching someone a lesson’ and how he’d thanked Neamhni for his help, followed by the way he’d pulled away from the hare faunus who’d reached out to him, covered in bruises.

And then there was divine memory of the last time they had slept together, how Gray had left hickeys on his thighs and spilled his name like he’d said it a thousand times before. 

He turned his head to the side, sure that that had caused some blood to rush to his face, “Lots of things.”

-

Friday had been mostly uneventful for Neamhni. Now that his ribs were healed, he was able to train again – and he put all of his frustration about being suspended into each punch, pushing himself hard enough that his muscles were sure to be sore the next day. By early afternoon, he had been about to grab some more groceries, when there was a knock on his front door. He creased his eyebrows - he hadn’t been expecting anyone, and the person who usually made surprise visits was still in hospital.

When he opened the door, the breath left his lungs. One of the last people he had expected was on his doorstep, leaning against the railing casually.

Neamhni set his jaw, “You have thirty seconds to state your business before I skewer you.”

Gray raised a single eyebrow. They both could remember the last time they had seen each other. Neamhni had almost strangled him to death, and Gray had told him to do it, but in the end, he let him go. _You_ _’re just as weak as I am._

“As much as you distrust me at the moment,” Gray started, hands in his pockets as he glanced around casually. “I feel the need to tell you that you have a target painted on your back.” 

Neamhni rolled his eyes, “Yes, I knew that already - you’ve been ordered to kill me, why don’t you either get it over with or piss off.” He began to close the door, but in a second Gray was there, grabbing it with his hand.

“I don’t mean that,” he said, now looking at the man with narrowed eyes. “I mean we have a _serious_ problem, now.”

Neamhni gave him a baffled look, and sarcasm began to drip off his tongue, “I’m sorry, where is this ‘we’ coming from? Last time I checked you pretty much handed me over to your boss to get skinned alive.” The words were spat at Gray - rightfully so - and he closed his eyes for a short moment.

“I know,” he said, opening them again to meet Neamhni’s harsh gaze. “I’m very aware of that, but now that _I_ _’m_ not going to kill you, you can bet your gorgeous ass that the rest of the Alliance will.”

Neamhni narrowed his eyes at the man, “And when that time comes, I’ll deal with it.” And he yanked the door closed.

Gray stood there for a moment, staring at the door. He should have expected that. He _had_ expected that, only he’d hoped to say a little more. Who was he kidding? He’d shattered all of the trust that Neamhni had had in him; it was amazing that he hadn’t been stabbed upon showing up here. He turned to walk back down the stairs.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Gray blinked and looked towards the stairs where an old woman stood, watching him with amusement. He scratched the back of his head as he shoved his hands into his pockets, wondering how long he had before Shade sent Nihil and Viscera after the Hellhounds. “Uh, I suppose.”

“I wouldn’t get on his bad side if I were you,” the woman said, walking towards the neighboring door. “Neamhni is a kind hearted man, but ruthless when he’s aggravated. Also very grumpy,” she added, more to herself, before walking into her apartment, and then she was gone. Gray tried not to remember how endearing Neamhni’s grumpy moods sometimes were as he walked down the stairs, shaking his head. _I think being on his_ _‘bad side_ _’ is an understatement._

He’d barely walked two blocks when his scroll began to buzz. He already knew who it was before he looked at the screen, and he lifted it to his ear as he put on a smug smile.

“Good afternoon Shade,” he greeted.

The man on the other end didn’t sound anywhere near as happy, “I hope you’re on your way to behead that rabbit, or we’re going to have some serious problems.” Though his voice was as smooth as always, the threat underneath it was very real, and it took effort for Gray to ignore it.

He set his gaze on the skyline, “I’m afraid not,” he said calmly. “If you want him dead you can get off your ass and do it yourself.”

There was a tense silence then, almost harsh, until Shade finally replied some moments later, “Do you not remember my little promise to you, Buralo?” The sweet hum of a baritone in his ear sounded so contradicting to the meaning beneath those words, “If you’re a part of this alliance-“ 

“Fuck the alliance,” Gray cut him off, and before he could hear an answer, he hung up.

Shade pulled the scroll from his ear, his patience having officially run out. He then dialed another number, and as soon as there was an answer, he spat an order. “Viscera,” he greeted, “I want every single body you have at your disposal to find Buralo and that fucking rabbit of his. Bring them to me, _alive_.” He then added, as an afterthought, “As well as any of those damn mutts you can get your hands on.” 

-

Jenna stood on top of the railing of the staircase, jumping as the man swung out to grab at her legs. She landed on the stairs just further down from her pursuer. She’d returned to the old apartment building where she lived, only to encounter this brute snooping around. He was huge in both height and build, and had a terrible version of a scowl plastered on his face. She wasn’t sure who he was or why he was here, but it certainly wasn’t to make friends. He turned and lashed out at her again, and she ducked out of the way easily.

“Get back here you filthy mutt,” he spat at her, barging down the stairs after her retreating form. Jenna swung around the turn, chirping a sentence over her shoulder as the breeze lifted the hair from her forehead.

“Wow, you suck your dad’s cock with that mouth?” she asked, an innocent inflection to her insult, and it only seemed to outrage him further. He growled at her and pulled a pistol from his belt. Jenna’s ears shot up, “Oop, time to go,” she muttered to herself, ducking down as he shot at her, and she leapt over the railing and down to the next flight of stairs, now only two levels from the ground. She knew one of the beams here was rotten; she just had to remember which one.

Another shot was fired at her through the stairs as the man barged down after her, and she ducked, before jumping over the next railing and down to the first flight of stairs. She caught sight of what she was after, then. The old wooden support beam had a few cracks in it, and all it needed was a little help to break completely.

Swinging her chain out from her belt, Jenna dodged another shot, before wrapping it around the pole, and using it to swing around to the bottom of the stairs. She gave it a hard tug when her feet hit the ground, and the whole staircase jolted to the side slightly.

_Crack!_

Jenna grinned, before yanking the chain harder, and the beam began to snap. The section of the staircase above it-which was currently being weighed down by her pursuer-shifted further. He stopped in his tracks.

Jenna kept a tight grip on her chain, “Now who the fuck are you and what are you doing here?” she demanded. A fall from the height the guy was currently at would either break his ankles upon landing or knock him out, either would suffice for her.

The man gave her a smug look from between the bars of the railing above her. “Would ya look at this, little girl thinks she’s so big,” he laughed. The voice sounded familiar, especially the tone he used when taunting her. That’s when recognition hit her, and a memory surfaced. A brawl outside a pub parking lot came to mind, though the name of the gang they had fought slipped her mind. She remembered this guy, though, and one thing that his drunken self had been pissed about that night.

She smirked, “You’re just mad that the ladies dig me more,” she taunted. She could remember seeing his face-priceless as it was-as she’d chatted up the same girls he’d been attempting to woo earlier in the night. “Pathetic,” and she yanked on the chain again.

With a creak and a few loud cracks, the beam snapped.

Jenna didn’t even get to watch the brute crash down with the staircase though, because suddenly a voice was calling out to her, “Jen!” The urgency made her snap her head around, and Teres had darted over and grabbed her by the arm, dragging her off with him as he ran.

Severely caught off guard by him yanking her along with him, Jenna looked to Teres with creased eyebrows, “What? What’s the big deal? He’s just a-”

“Not him,” Teres said, running towards the trees behind the apartment block, letting go of Jenna’s arm so she could run beside him. “Her.”

Jenna took one glance over her shoulder before she saw it, a dark cloaked figure chasing them. Their presence and speed gave her the idea that they were leagues more trouble than the man she’d just faced. Gray’s warning to lay low suddenly popped into her head, “Shit.” 

- 

Neamhni placed his empty glass down on the bar top, before getting up from his seat. He’d needed to get out tonight, to go do something other than sit at home and wonder what was going through Gray’s head when he’d showed up at Neamhni’s door earlier. He’d only had a couple of beers, but his bladder was just about full, so he’d headed off to the bathroom. When he was done, he’d pushed the door open, ready to go back out and order another drink, only when he turned the corner, he heard a very distinct click.

It was the sound of someone cocking a gun.

Very slowly, he turned to face them. He couldn’t see their face, except for the grin they held, the gun - either loaded with dust rounds or real bullets, he couldn’t tell - pointed at his head. When they spoke, it was with a smooth and sinister murmur.

“Hello, Dear Rabbit.”


	22. Chapter 22

The back door to the bar burst open against the weight of a man being thrown against it. His back had hit the ground, and as he skidded into the illumination of the streetlight, Neamhni determined it was a face he hadn’t seen before. Probably why the guy was stupid enough to come after a fully trained Huntsman without anyone else to aid him.

The unfamiliar man was on his feet in the next second as Neamhni pulled Umbra Bolt from under his coat – while he had acted indifferent to Gray’s words earlier, he certainly wasn’t stupid enough to come out without it - and aimed it at the man’s head, but he was already moving. Neamhni shot at the blurred figure that darted to the side, but missed poorly, and suddenly the man was in front of him again, something shiny in his hand reflecting the glow of the streetlight.

Neamhni lowered his weapon in favor of blocking the strike that came at him, his palm hitting the inside of the man’s bicep with enough force to make him fumble the knife he held. He expected the man to try and grasp it properly again before attacking him, but instead he let it fall and swung a punch with his other hand.

Neamhni’s head snapped to the side, and before he gained his vision back he kicked out at where the man’s knee should have been, but he had already scooped up the knife and had darted to the side. Blinking the stars out of his eyes, Neamhni growled and lifted Umbra again. As it changed and opened up into its final mode, he noted how his reflexes were slower thanks to the alcohol in his system. He could make up for that.

He aimed for his target who had gained some distance - probably planning to charge in and attack again any second - and as he had guessed, the minute the man came under Umbra’s range, he moved to avoid the shot. But Neamhni hadn’t been planning to shoot him. The man had been against the wall of the neighboring building, and he only had one direction he could move in – which was right underneath the flickering light of the awning. So, instead of aiming for the moving target, Neamhni shot the light he ran under.

Glass showered down over his attacker, catching him in surprise, and Neamhni took that spare moment to shoot another arrow, which caught the collar of his shirt, and tugged the man with it until his back hit the wall, the tail of the arrow vibrating beside his neck.

It was times like this that Neamhni wished he had River’s semblance, as the man tried to pull away from the wall while Umbra Bolt slid back to its former mode, dust rounds ready to fire. Just as the man gave up and tried to throw his knife, a dust round of ice froze his hand, and then his feet. Neamhni grinned as he lowered his weapon, his attacker successfully subdued.

“I’m going to take a wild guess and assume you’re a part of Sovereign Alliance,” he said, walking forwards.

The attacker looked more than a little annoyed that he’d lost, “My boss is,” he spat in response. “So don’t think you’ve won so easily.”

Neamhni was about to demand who his boss was, when the sound of something whistling through the air behind him made the faunus freeze in shock. It was only a millisecond, far too late for him to react, and just as the dread hit him like a bucket of ice water, it turned to confusion when instead of pain lacing through him, he heard a loud _clang_.

Neamhni turned. A figure had apparently dropped in from somewhere above them, and now stood between him and his newest assailant, the dagger they had thrown now lying meters away. What shocked Neamhni the most, however, was that the object that had stopped the flying dagger was a set of long, sharp claws. 

_Gray._

-

Jenna and Teres darted towards the line of trees at the back of the apartment block, their newest attacker closing in behind them. “Where are the others?” she asked, breathing heavily as her boots pounded on the packed dirt. They weren’t going to be able to run forever, so she changed her grip on the chain in her hand, ready to swing around one of the trees and face them head on.

Teres grabbed hold of the chain with one of his hands as he continued to run, “Don’t.” 

Jenna had given him a wild, bewildered look – it wasn’t often that these guys backed down from a fight – but he looked certain, so she complied and continued to run. If they didn’t do something soon though, they were sure to get diced. Just as they hit the line of trees, Jenna was surprised by a flash of red in the corner of her eye, and she turned her head just in time to see Jasper’s bat swing out and clobber their attacker as she ran past him.

Like a fly that had been swatted out of the air, she was halted and instantly thrown to the ground.

Jenna stopped running, and placed hands on her knees as Teres puffed beside her. “Nice one, Jas,” she breathed. The boy grinned at her.

“We don’t have time to hang around,” Teres said, “There’s bound to be more.”

“There _is_ more,” Nigel alerted them from his place up in one of the trees, and was suddenly barking orders. “You four get out of here and get to the meeting point where Unum and Duos are, I’ll hold this one off and catch up with you.”

There was a moment of hesitation. Nigel narrowed his eyes - he was having none of it. “I said _go._ _”_

- 

The man who had thrown the dagger sneered at Gray, “I should have known it would be this easy to find the two of you,” he taunted. “You filthy faunus love sticking together, don’t you?” It was a broad statement, referring to their whole race rather than just the two of them, and somehow it made Gray angrier.

“Let me guess, you’re here to return us to Shade,” Gray responded, using the same tone he did when facing any enemy. “I bet you’d _love_ to be the one to do it.”

“If only to watch him slice your traitorous ass in two,” was the retort.

Gray smirked, “Well, I’d hate to disappoint you, but-” he didn’t bother finishing his sentence, as the action of charging towards him with claws raised seemed to speak volumes. 

Neamhni had still been recovering from his shock that he’d been stupid enough to let someone stab him in the back – literally this time – until the man frozen to the wall had reminded him of where he was.

“Shade’s gonna obliterate the both of you,” he spat. Neamhni turned his gaze away from Gray for a moment, only to slam his fist right into the man’s face. Needless to say, he couldn’t utter another word, after that. 

A minute later, Gray was putting on his usual smug grin as he stared down the man who was now looking at him wide-eyed, making choking sounds. “I hate to say I told you so,” he said, before wrenching his claws out and letting him go. The man slumped to the ground, and didn’t move again.

Neamhni was standing behind, watching him. His original assailant was successfully knocked out against the wall, his feet and hand still frozen in place. That alone spoke volumes about their intentions, but what Neamhi understood about Gray wasn’t adding up.

He began throwing questions at him, “How did you know where I was?” he asked.

Gray had just finished wiping the blood off of his claws with the deceased man’s shirt, and he turned around to look at the hare faunus. “Wild guess,” he said, nodding to the back door of the bar.

Neamhni moved onto his next question, “And why are you trying to protect me?” While Gray had even stated that he wasn’t going to kill him, there was quite the big difference between not killing someone and actively going out of your way to protect them from death.

Gray looked at some spot behind Neamhni. “Do you trust me?” he asked casually, turning his gaze back to the man.

What a ridiculous question. Only a week ago this man had sent Neamhni straight into an ambush – there was no need to think about his answer. “No.”

Gray lifted his shoulders, “Then there’s no use in answering that question,” he responded. “The fact of the matter is,” he continued, surprised that Neamhni hadn’t tried to shoot him yet, “These people are going to keep coming after you, so you have two options. You can spend the next however long constantly fighting off these assailants, or you can go after Shade and finish this.” Gray had purposely said ‘you’ rather than ‘us’, even though the latter was true, only to not anger Neamhni like he had earlier. 

Neamhni didn’t like this. He didn’t like it at all – he had no reason to trust Gray whatsoever, but here he was just about to suggest helping him take down the Alliance _just like last time._ There was something slightly different about this time, though.

“That man,” Neamhni nodded to the body on the ground behind Gray, “He called you a traitor.”

Gray didn’t even blink, “He did.” 

He knew it was a stupid question, “Why?” 

It looked like it took a severe amount of self-restraint for Gray not to roll his eyes, then. “Why do you think?” As much as Neamhni didn’t trust him right now, surely he couldn’t think that Gray was _still_ working for Shade, at least not after that display and the fact that he’d refused to kill him. _Stranger things have happened,_ he reasoned to himself.

When Neamhni didn’t reply, Gray let out a large sigh, “We don’t have time for this,” he said, stepping forwards, “You need to either disappear, or end this right now before-”

A loud rumble suddenly made itself known, and Gray knew what it was just as a headlight became illuminated on the brick building beside them. _Too late._

A motorcycle skidded around the corner and into the alley, and Gray pulled the pistol from his belt as Neamhni fished out another set of dust rounds, almost fumbling them as he dived out of the way, the driver having tried to run him over. As soon as he got the rounds into Umbra he shot at the front tire, ice stopping its movement the same moment that Gray punctured the back with a bullet.

The bike skidded and hit the wall, but they had no time to see if the driver was okay, for there were already more people appearing at the mouth of the alley. Neamhni changed Umbra into longbow mode, ready to fight, but Gray was suddenly in front of him, holding out an arm.

“There’s too many,” he said, eyes darting at the figures approaching them, “Get out of here _now._ _”_

Neamhni’s years of huntsman training told him he was ready to take them all, but he couldn’t turn down an offer to escape both Gray and this ambush, so he began to retreat, throwing Umbra back under his coat and taking off at a run back down the alley. He didn’t look back.


	23. Chapter 23

Gray had tried to hold them off. He’d kept them all at the mouth of the alley while Neamhni had ran, but they were vastly outnumbering him, and soon a few had gotten past and he was becoming overwhelmed. He didn’t know what else he could do, so now it was his turn to run. He wasn’t sure where Neamhni had gone – he’d left no trace of what direction he’d headed in thankfully – but as Gray weaved through the streets, trying every tactic he had to throw them off of his tail, he hoped the man was long gone by now.

Gray skidded around the corner of an alley, knowing there was a shortcut through a narrow space somewhere here, but he was halted when he ran straight into someone, having been too busy looking over his shoulder. The two tumbled to the ground, and as Gray tried to scramble to his feet, he felt a wave of dread hit him the minute he saw the hare ears.

“Neamhni?!” They were on their feet now, looking at each other wide eyed, and Gray could see the people surrounding them, who had been chasing them both. The two faunus instinctively turned back to back to face their foes, though Neamhni was just as aware of the man behind him as he was of the rest. 

“What the fuck are you still doing here?” Gray ground out between his teeth, eyes darting between each person in front of him.

“I could ask you the same question,” Neamhni replied, now holding Umbra in front of him.

Gray’s knuckle-dusters opened up over his hand again, the claws sliding into place. “You were supposed to be gone by now.”

The irritation in Neamhni’s voice was just as strong as Gray’s, though the reason behind it was completely different. “Yeah that’s a little hard when you’re getting cornered,” he spat back over his shoulder. “Besides, how do I know you didn’t just lead them straight to me?”

Gray couldn’t believe this. The people who he could only assume were Viscera’s assassins stood circling them, and here they were in the middle, bickering. “If I wanted you dead, I would have done it a long, _long_ time ago,” he replied, wondering why nobody had jumped forwards to attack them yet. Perhaps they found the bickering too amusing to interrupt.

The scorn in Neamhni’s voice was evident from miles away then, as he replied. “And yet you had no qualms with handing me over to your boss last week and letting River get stabbed, so if you think your loyalties are obvious, you are sadly mistaken.”

Having apparently noticed that nobody was attacking them as well, Neamhni suddenly turned, and Gray looked over his shoulder to see Umbra in gun mode, pointed at his head. The look in Neamhni’s eyes was hard, “Because I will _not_ fall for your lies again.”

Gray didn’t look shocked; he didn’t look betrayed. He didn’t even look scared. Just tired. Very, very tired. He knew there was no point in answering, in fact doing so would probably make Neamhni angrier, but the words came out anyway. “Hardly any of it was a lie.” His eyes were looking straight past Umbra to the man holding it, and it was easy to see that it was not an answer he had expected. 

That face scrunched up in enraged bafflement, but just before Neamhni could retort anything, something echoed off the walls beside them.

It was a clap, which was then slowly followed by another, and another.

The circle of assassins parted, and the pair turned their heads to see who was approaching. His coat lifted under the wind that blew down through the alley, and his pale hair swayed as well, but he just walked forwards into the circle, clapping slowly.

“Sorry, I hate to interrupt,” he began, voice as smooth as silk. “You two _are_ amusing…”

Neamhni noticed Gray’s jaw clench, and when the man stepped underneath the streetlight, he was clearly visible. It was the same man from the warehouse, Gray’s boss - the same man whom he had referred to as Shade. Why was his voice so familiar?

Shade had finished his clapping and casually placed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He looked far too comfortable surrounded by assassins, and the very air of arrogance that surrounded him was enough to make Gray’s blood boil. “I can’t let Gray take all of the credit for this, though,” he continued, lips pulling up at the side. “Especially since he’s now so…articulately proclaimed his leave of the Alliance.”

Neamhni creased his eyebrows and glanced beside him. Gray didn’t look very happy, “I told him to fuck it,” he murmured in explanation.

“Speaking of,” Shade continued, pulling hands out of pockets to lift them in the air, palms up. “Where are those mutts of yours? I did make you a promise, after all,” Shade’s smile was so soft it was sinister. Gray didn’t even open his mouth, he just stared, hands closed into fists at his sides.

Neamhni was still confused. _A promise about the Hellhounds?_

Shade sighed when he didn’t get an answer, before turning to address the assassins. “You are all dismissed, I can take it from here.”

Neamhni was now even more confused, as he watched the group disappear. How was Shade so confident that he would dismiss the entirety of his backup? If Gray were really an enemy to the Alliance that would mean it would be two on one, an obvious disadvantage. That wasn’t to say that Neamhni trusted Gray to fight with him yet, however. Not at all, it just didn’t add up either way. Unless there was something Shade was hiding.

Shade was still giving them that sinister smile, “So, are you two going to come quietly or am I going to have to use force?” he asked.

Naturally, it was the Huntsman that stepped forwards, raising Umbra Bolt in front of him, an arrow already pointed at Shade’s chest. “I don’t think you’re in a position to be making demands,” he said. 

Shade didn’t look concerned at all, only slightly annoyed at having to put in any effort. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug, “Force it is, then.”

Neamhni narrowed his eyes in confusion as Shade raised his hand to click into the silence around them. Surely it was just for show. If he had anybody hiding nearby he could have brought them forward any way he liked. Knowing Shade was likely calling for reinforcements, Neamhni decided he needed to act now. Still aiming straight on target, he let the arrow fly.

_Clang._

Shade hadn’t moved a muscle, but the arrow had been halted. Neamhni hadn’t even seen the person appear – one moment Shade was about to get skewered and then now this person was there, holding two daggers in front of him, Neamhni’s arrow caught between them. The hair was familiar though; Neamhni would probably never forget the flash of blue from back at warehouse seventeen.

The wave of dread hit him right in the gut, _“You._ _”_

Gray had stiffened beside him, and in the next moment, the person was gone again, in the blink of an eye. Neamhni hadn’t had time to even turn his head to look around - a breath was already at his ear.

“Remember me?” the low voice mused, and Neamhni’s eyes flew wide in shock, almost stumbling forwards as he spun around, still holding Umbra in front of him. His heart had begun to pound – that had been very familiar indeed. The blue haired man had something covering his mouth, but the look in his eyes suggested he was smiling. 

Gray was still glaring at Shade as he stood beside the huntsman, “That’s Nihil,” he explained, “He’s the one who broke your ribs.”

Neamhni was starting to realize that he had underestimated Shade; of course he had someone hiding in the shadows to even up the odds. He shot a comment over his shoulder, “Did I ask you?”

Despite his annoyance, his eyes stayed on Nihil, remembering how easily the man had gotten the best of him last time. He had completely humiliated Neamhni and in extension his whole team, had put him out of action for weeks, had put his friend in a hospital bed. And this was only _one_ member of Shade’s alliance.

Of course another was standing right beside him, and had dealt the most damage. If it weren’t for Gray, they wouldn’t have even been at warehouse seventeen, and River never would have encountered Nihil. Neamhni tried to remind himself to keep a level head.

“You stabbed River,” he spat to the man in front of him. 

“I did,” Nihil replied smoothly, “It was very enjoyable.”

Neamnhni swore at him, and the last moment of eerie peace in the alley dissipated as he began to shoot. Nihil was already gone again, and the arrows hit the wall. Neamhni swore again as he began to turn around, but he was shoved back into the brick building. Not by Nihil, though – it was Gray who had pushed him.

Neamhni was about ready to start fighting him, as well, but Gray spoke before he could do anything. “ _Don_ _’t_ let him get behind you,” he ordered, before positioning himself beside Neamhni, the wall at his back, also.

Nihil hadn’t reappeared yet, so Neamhni spared a moment to glare at Gray, “I don’t need your help,” he spat. He was a fully trained and certified Huntsman, like he needed to take advice from a gang leader.

Gray was itching to pull the pistol from his belt, but knew that the bullets would only be wasted on someone who could disappear that fast. “Two broken ribs says you do,” he replied.

As much as the comment infuriated him, Neamhni couldn’t really argue with that. Nihil had completely owned him last time, but at least now he knew what he was going up against. 

He then heard a sound to his left – a foot scraping on the bitumen – and he moved to defend himself in the quickest way that he could.

Nihil’s dagger was deflected, and eyebrows rose in surprise as Neamhni grinned. “You’re not the only one who can use the shadows,” he said, a dark horse’s head visible in front of him. Gray had taken that moment to jump in beside him, claws ready to cause some serious damage, but Nihil was gone again.

Gray stepped back as his eyes darted around his surroundings, and he only just heard movement on his right in time to raise his claws, Nihil’s dagger hitting them with a clang.

“You’ve gotten faster, Buralo,” Nihil mused, drawing the dagger back. Gray swung at him, and Nihil dodged. “Not fast enough, though.”

An arrow then came flying from Nihil’s right, and he deflected it with his dagger. Neamhni then changed Umbra down into gun mode as Gray engaged Nihil again, and his claws clanged against Nihil’s daggers, the sound echoing off of the building beside them.

A dust round was then fired from Umbra, and Nihil swung out his dagger, deflecting it into the wall, before hooking his other dagger under Gray’s claws and yanking it to the side. Gray stumbled with it, and tried to swing at him with his other hand, but Nihil wrenched him around until he was thrown into the wall. 

Another dust round was fired. This time Nihil deflected it straight back at Neamhni, who had to dive to the side to avoid getting himself frozen. He fired a few more as soon as he was able, and Nihil disappeared again, effectively dodging them all.

Gray had just managed to get to his feet when he noticed that one of them was headed straight for him, and he only just had enough time to leap out of the way as the wall behind him turned to ice.

Shade watched the fight from where he stood. Neamhni and Gray weren’t really working _together._ They were more like two people randomly attacking the same enemy. Nihil was dodging them easily. He found it so amusing, how Gray was trying so hard to help Neamhni and yet the hare was just constantly refusing it. He supposed that’s what you get when you stab someone in the back, whether voluntary, or not.


	24. Chapter 24

Neamhni was getting nowhere. Shooting at Nihil was turning out to be a fruitless endeavor, and Gray’s close range attacks were just as useless. Not to mention it made it harder to aim when Gray’s stupid head kept getting in the way. He’d had enough of shooting at Nihil though; he knew it wasn’t working. He needed to try a different approach.

Just as the thought reached his mind, Nihil appeared again, right beside him. Neamhni drew in a shocked breath and only just managed to block the stab headed for him with Umbra, before he saw wolf ears approach Nihil from behind. Instead of swinging at Neamhni again like expected though, Nihil disappeared again, and Gray stumbled forwards as his attack completely missed.

Neamhni had to duck to the side to avoid getting slashed by Gray’s claws, and he shoved the man away in annoyance. He didn’t even bother snapping at him like he wanted to, for his eyes were searching out Nihil again.

Spotting the man standing a few metres away, Neamhni charged at him again, but this time activated his semblance as his shadow took him across the alley at a much faster pace than his legs could manage. Nihil raised his daggers with a bright glint in his eyes, but Neamhni’s horse leapt high into the air, and came straight down on top of him.

The shadow disappeared as Neamhni landed on Nihil, the murderer’s back hitting the ground with a hard thud. Neamhni instantly grabbed hold of one of Nihil’s arms while he changed Umbra into gun mode, and instantly shot an ice dust round at his free hand. The minute Nihil’s frozen hand hit the bitumen Neamhni felt a sting at his side – a shallow slice from the other dagger. He went to fire another round, and just as it hit Nihil’s other hand, he was thrown off by an almighty kick of legs.

Neamhni raised his arms over his head as he skidded across the bitumen while Gray jumped on Nihil, and when the hare faunus looked up he saw Shade still standing where he had been before. The bastard was letting Nihil do all the dirty work for him while he sat back and enjoyed the show.

While Gray was busy tussling with Nihil, Neamhni got to his feet and in a second was firing an arrow, straight at Shade. As fast as he had done it though, the masked man had procured a weapon from under his coat, and suddenly a long pole arm had deflected it. Of course he was fast, too.

“You’re going to regret that, rabbit,” Shade said, his voice as soft as ever. Neamhni doubted that anything he said could sound nice, regardless of how comforting his voice sounded.

Dark eyes were narrowed as he stared down Shade, “Fight me, then,” he challenged, still holding Umbra up in front of him.

Shade smiled then – an unsettling, sinister smile. “Oh, I don’t need to fight.”

As Neamhni’s eyebrows creased in confusion, Gray’s head snapped up, having overheard the exchange. “ _No._ ” He swung a hard punch into the side of Nihil’s head – thank god he had been lucky enough to have an opening in that moment – and was on his feet in an instant.

Neamhni was standing right in front of Shade, incredibly vulnerable to his most dangerous weapon, and he felt his stomach drop down to his ankles the minute that he was exposed to the man’s semblance. 

Only a split second later, a voice called from behind him. “Neamhni!” Gray grabbed hold of his wrist and violently yanked him backwards. The vision before him had dissipated as fast as it had formed, and he stumbled, wide eyed and heart pounding. _What was that?_ His mind was reeling, _what just happened?_

He then realized that Gray hadn’t let go of his wrist, apparently having decided at the last minute to hang on. When Neamhni looked up, he was confused. Gray was now standing in front of him, facing Shade just as the huntsman had been a moment ago, but he was so still it was unsettling. Not just still actually, _tense._

Gray could see nothing but the vision that Shade’s semblance had formed in front of him. In pulling Neamhni away from it he’d only propelled himself into the man’s place, and now he couldn’t move.

Jenna was standing in front of him - if that could count as standing. Her eyes that were usually alight with snark and sarcasm were devoid of any light at all. Her breaths were shallow, and her limbs were weak. Most noticeably though, was the gaping wound in her chest.

 _“You promised,_ _”_ she spat at him, disappointment lacing her words, _“You said you would protect us._ _”_

She couldn’t stand any longer, and as soon as her legs gave out Gray saw she wasn’t the only one. Jasper was behind her, on his knees. He was coughing up blood, and it was mixing with the vomit and tears on the ground in front of him.

Behind him, there were more - all of the hellhounds, all of them dying.

Nigel was trying to crawl over to Teres, leaving a trail of blood behind him, and if Gray didn’t already feel nauseated, the sight of a dismembered hand lying nearby certainly did. Unum lay against the wall of a building, a sword protruding from his stomach; Duos wasn’t moving from where he’d collapsed a few feet away, a splash of crimson trailing from his head. It was complete bloodshed, not a single wound that wasn’t fatal.

In fact, none of them were moving now. They were all dead.

He’d broken his promise.

He was about ready to vomit, the weight in his gut only moments from dragging him to his knees, when he saw one more body.

It was just as lifeless as the others, incredibly pale and surrounded in blood, but unmistakable – there was only one Hare ear left on top of his head.

It was like the icing on top of a devastatingly poisonous cake – the final addition to the masterpiece that could break Gray Buralo.

Neamhni’s lifeless eyes were wide, as if he had been shocked in those final moments before his heart had stopped beating. It didn’t take Gray long to figure out why. Sticking out from the middle of his chest, coated in crimson red, were the claws from Gray’s knuckle-dusters.

“ _Neamhni_ _…_ ”

It was the smallest sound, a quiet murmur, but the man behind him had heard it. And it sounded…sad. More than sad, actually. Gray was still holding onto his wrist, and to be honest Neamhni didn’t know why he hadn’t wrenched himself free, but he just stood there, staring at the faunus in front of him.

“What’s going on?” he asked. He looked back over to Shade, who was smiling, and then back to Gray. He couldn’t see the man’s face – his fringe hid whatever would have been visible – but his demeanor was still tense as ever.

When he himself had been standing in front of Shade, right before Gray had yanked him back, Neamhni had been faced very briefly with a sight that had made his heart pound and his palms sweat - his worst fear.

Was that what Gray was seeing?

The grip on Neamhni’s wrist tightened then, almost as if Gray only just remembered that he’d been holding onto it, and before the hare faunus could ask again what was happening, he was let go as Gray all but burst back to life.

It was staggering, the change in his demeanor was enough of a fright to make Neamhni step back as a loud shout echoed through the alley, and Gray’s fist connected with the ground.

Neamhni watched with wide eyes as a large powerful shockwave rippled through the ground and air in front of Gray, and Shade was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard and skidding across the bitumen.

Neamhni continued to stand where he was, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Shade must be able to show people their worst fears. But Gray had just said _his_ name. 

He barely realized he was saying it out loud, “Does that mean…” the quiet murmur passed his lips in disbelief. “Gray’s worst fear is-”

Neamhni’s eyes flew wide as he felt a blow to the middle of his back. A grunt of pain passed his lips, and he had only barely noticed that it felt ice cold as he was hit again in the back of the head, sending him to his knees. Somehow he had lost his grip on Umbra Bolt and it was skidding away from him, and then he was suddenly lying flat on the ground, something freezing cold and hard pressing in between his shoulder blades.

As soon as he was able to think straight again, he figured it was Nihil, his hands and weapons as cold as the ice that had been covering them. His eyebrows shot up; _did he manage to smash the ice?_

The man finished his sentence for Neamhni then, a sinister hiss at his ear, “Losing his _dear_ rabbit.”

A short pained sound came from the huntsman as a cold hand then grasped one of his hare ears, yanking his head back so a blade could press into his throat. Nihil’s dagger was so chilled it felt like it almost burned where it met his skin. The man’s knee was also pressing into Neamhni’s back, right between his shoulder blades, and it was already beginning to ache, but he was trapped. He’d been so stupidly caught up in the confusion of what had just happened that he’d forgotten about Nihil, and now the slightest move could mean the end of him. 

The thought sent a wave of dread right to the pit of his stomach. _Shit._ He was screwed.

Gray had started to charge at Shade, trying to get an attack in before the man could make it to his feet, but Nihil’s voice echoed out to him. 

“I wouldn’t, Buralo.”

Gray had just grabbed hold of Shade’s collar, wondering why the man hadn’t moved from where he sat on the ground, but upon hearing Nihil’s voice, he paused. The feeling in Gray’s stomach made him think he already knew what he was going to see when he turned around, and the look on Shade’s smug face backed that up. When he did look over his shoulder finally, a heavy breath fell from his lips, “ _Shit._ ”

Shade’s smile was wide and smug as he stared up at Gray, “Down, boy.”

Gray clenched his jaw. He wanted to deck Shade in the face just for that comment, but when he took too long to let go of the man’s collar, Nihil yanked hard on Neamhni’s ear again and the man let out an involuntary yelp.

With rage burning in his eyes, Gray let him go. He turned to assess the position Neamhni was in as Shade got to his feet, looking for any possible way around it, but barely a single thought had passed his mind before he received a harsh blow to the back of the head. 

Neamhni watched Gray stumble and fall to his knees, before Shade stomped his foot down onto the man’s back, and he was lying face down on the bitumen. His voice was so infuriatingly condescending as he spoke, then. “Good boy.”

-

River watched the morning sun slowly grow higher in the sky. He looked at the clock again, and frowned. Gum seemed to notice his expression when she walked into the room, and she folded her arms.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Oh, hey,” River greeted her, turning his head towards her. “I just…Neamhni said he was going to visit this morning,” he said with a wave of his hand. “I just thought he would be here already is all.” 

Gum creased her eyebrows, “That’s weird. Did you try calling him?”

River looked down at his scroll, “Yeah.”

“Did he answer?”

“No.” 

River looked out the window again as Gum tapped her fingers on her arm for a moment. He shrugged, then, “Maybe he just got caught up with something.”

Gum shook her head, “He has nothing _to_ get caught up with, he’s been suspended,” she elaborated, knowing how incredibly bored he got while his ribs healed. “I’ll stop by his apartment on the way home and see if he’s there – it doesn’t make sense for him to be late without telling you.”

-

Nigel was tapping his hands on his thighs impatiently. “Anything?” he asked.

Unum checked his scroll again, “Nothing.”

Everyone who had been watching on reacted accordingly in either a sigh or a groan. They were currently camping out in a shed at the back of a property – courtesy of one of Jenna’s connections – and they were waiting to hear word from Gray. He said he would message them every day to let them know what was going on and if anything had changed, and they were all anxious to hear from him. 

“What are we supposed to do, sit on our asses all day until we hear from him?” Jenna asked, sitting on top of a car stashed in the corner of which the engine was missing.

“There’s nothing else we can do,” Teres replied, standing by a window that was covered in cobwebs. “Gray told us to find someplace to lay low and stay there. If Shade can’t find us then he has no leverage." 

Jenna was just about losing her mind in this small garage. “Fucking leverage,” she muttered. “How the hell is Gray supposed to take down the rest of the Alliance all on his own, anyway?”

Jasper then decided to move from his seat in one of the discarded tires to climb on top of the car beside Jenna. “He’s not on his own though, is he?” he asked, legs dangling in front of the side windows. “He has the rabbit.”

“Hare,” Jenna muttered.

Unum cracked a small smile, but then it disappeared. “That depends, though.”

Jasper tilted his head, “Depends on what?”

Duos had been sitting in the only beanbag in the shed-though it was quite dusty-and everyone looked down at him when he spoke. “It depends if Neamhni can trust him.”


	25. Chapter 25

The first thing Neamhni was aware of was something cold and wet landing on his cheek. As he slowly regained consciousness, his mind foggy with confusion, he began to realize that he was in a very uncomfortable position to be sleeping in. He was sitting up, and his neck was incredibly sore from having his head hanging to the side for so long. His first instinct would have been to reach up and rub at his eyes, but the minute he became aware of where his hands were he knew that would be impossible.

It seemed he was tied to a chair. _How fucking clich_ _é_ , he thought, several movies popping into his head. He let out a groan as he felt how sore his arms were, pulled behind his back and pressed agsinst the sides of the chair back. The rope was wound tight around his wrists and ankles, digging into the skin uncomfortably. How long had he been sitting here?

He was only just squinting his eyes open when something startled him from behind. It was a voice, rough and deep, and painfully familiar.

“Mornin’, sunshine.”

Neamhni’s head snapped up, as he tried to look over his shoulder. He could only just catch a glimpse of a person behind him – the edge of a shoulder, and the back of another chair. The voice sounded as groggy as he felt, but there was no doubt in who it belonged to.

“Gray.”

Neamhni could tell the man was wearing the smallest hint of his usual smile, “Who else?”

He was still blinking, trying to get the blurriness out of his eyes after being knocked out for hours, as he tried to look around, “Where are we?” he asked.

Gray did his best attempt at a shrug from the position he was in – though Neamhni couldn’t actually see it, he did hear the movement and assume what it was. “No clue, I know as much as you do. Even I’ve never been to this place before.”

It could have been the basement of any building in Vale for all they knew. It was dank and dark, and the pipes running above them had been the culprits to what had dripped onto Neamhni’s cheek earlier. It wasn’t a huge room, but it had a decent amount of space, and there was one door at the end of the room, closed shut – and probably locked, too. The only light came from a window high on the wall that Gray faced, and thanks to that they could assume it was somewhere around mid-morning.

Neamhni seemed to be docile enough to not want to strangle Gray at the moment thankfully, though he still felt angry towards him. Heck, he had a lot of conflicting emotions towards the man at the moment, but there was no point starting an argument now, so he kept the negative thoughts to himself.

“Are you going to tell me why you decided to protect me now?” he asked instead, watching one of the pipes nearby dripping water onto the floor.

Gray shifted-though he couldn’t move much while tied to the chair. “What’s the point?” he said eventually, sounding bitter. “I still couldn’t even manage that.”

Neamhni was trying to make sense of everything. A week ago, Gray had sent him into an ambush, and now he’d tried to protect him. None of it made any sense, especially with the way Gray had been acting right before the betrayal. It had all seemed so _real._

Despite his attempts to stay civil, Neamhni couldn’t help the retort that passed his lips then, “Sending me into an ambush didn’t help.”

A heavy sigh fell from Gray then, as if he’d been expecting Neamhni to bring it up, but also dreading it. “No,” he agreed in a murmur, “It didn’t.”

Neamhni was assessing the pipes on the ceiling for the third time, when Gray continued. “And as much as I know this won’t help either…” he paused, as if hesitating for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

Silence stretched out around them. Gray sat and waited, wondering what was ticking through Neamhni’s head as the moments passed. If he weren’t tied to a chair, Gray would have shifted his feet and scratched his head or run a hand through his hair to combat his discomfort. It felt like it had dragged out far too long when he finally heard a response. “What are you sorry for?”

Gray dropped his head with another sigh. It was obvious what he was apologizing for-everything really-but if Neamhni was able to make it hard for him of course he took the opportunity to do so. Gray chewed on his lip as he thought to himself. What exactly was he sorry for? What was Neamhni expecting to hear?

_I_ _’m sorry for hurting you?_

_I_ _’m sorry for betraying your trust?_

_I_ _’m sorry for sending you into an ambush that put your friend in hospital?_

Gray looked down into his lap. There was barely any sound at all in the room, save for the intermittent dripping of the pipes by the door, and then the sound of the wolf faunus swallowing.

“I’m sorry for thinking I didn’t have a choice.”

Gray heard Neamhni shift in his seat, as if in surprise. He mustn’t have been expecting that kind of response. There was another moment of uneasy silence, before he heard a reply. “What do you mean?” Neamhni asked.

Gray had wanted a chance to explain himself ever since Neamhni had looked up at him in disbelief back at warehouse seventeen. Of course he had known that he probably wouldn’t get that chance, but now that he did, he didn’t know where to start.

“I told you before,” Gray murmured, looking at the floor, “Barely anything I said was a lie.” Neamhni stayed silent, so after a moment of thinking over how to elaborate, Gray spoke again. “Do you remember the day I asked for your help?” he asked, “When I told you about how I joined the Alliance?”

As if it were hard for Neamhni to remember. He’d woken up with Gray’s arm draped over his waist and a warm feeling in his chest. He recalled the conversation easily, “You said that Shade had threatened the Hellhounds.”

Gray found himself nodding, even though Neamhni couldn’t see him. “That wasn’t just how I joined. It applied to everything,” he murmured. “Including the ambush." 

Neamhni thought through Gray’s explanation silently. _I_ _’m sorry for thinking I didn_ _’t have a choice,_ he had said. So Shade had threatened to hurt the hellhounds if he didn’t go through with it?

Neamhni considered the idea of Gray being held on a leash for the first time. He didn’t look like the kind of person who could get pushed around so easily, but Neamhni knew there could be more to the story. He began to chew on his lip.

“And what about when you stole my scroll and broke into the station?” Neamhni asked then, somewhat sternly. “Then too?”

There was only a very short silence before there was a reply. “Yes,” he said, “Then, too.”

Gray wondered when it was that Neamhni had figured that out. He’d been so afraid of getting caught that night when he returned to the apartment, but Neamhni had been fast asleep. But now he knew - somewhere between the ambush and now he must have caught on. Well, he certainly wasn’t dumb; it was bound to happen eventually.

There were a few more moments of silence, until Gray spoke again. “You don’t believe me,” he murmured, “Do you?”

Neamhni was still chewing on his lip. At least he had the luxury of not having to hide any facial expressions, because Gray couldn’t see them. He blew a puff of air out through his nose, “Is that really a surprise?” he asked. No, he didn’t believe Gray, not after the last week that could only be described as one big shit show. That would be far too easy, and these things were never easy. _I want to believe you though,_ he found himself thinking, _I really do._

Neamhni could hear Gray’s breathing behind him, long and steady. “I suppose not,” was his response.

They sat in silence for a long while after that. Neither of them knew what to do – they were in an unfamiliar place with no recollection of how they got there or what came next. Well, they could probably take an educated guess at what did come next, but neither faunus wanted to address that just yet. Neamhni still had some unanswered questions, and he supposed now was probably the only chance he had to ask them, seeing as they could do nothing but sit and talk. Whether he believed Gray’s answers or not was a whole other subject, but he figured he might as well try.

Gray had been inspecting the window in front of him for the last fifteen minutes, but he hadn’t seen any shadows or movement, so he assumed this building was out of the way of the general public. Not that that helped them much. He doubted either of them could manage to get free of these restraints on their own, let alone make it outside. He had a nagging thought at the back of his head that neither of them would ever make it outside again. He was trying his best to ignore it.

His thoughts dissipated when Neamhni spoke again. “Shade’s semblance,” he said, breaking the silence, “It’s some sort of scare tactic, isn’t it?” Neamhni had only been subject to it for a moment or two, but he clearly remembered the fear that had hit him in the few breaths before Gray had yanked him away.

Gray looked from the window to the floor beside him, his best attempt at turning in Neamhni’s direction. “Yes,” he replied. “He can show someone their worst fear, as if it is being played out in front of them.” Gray knew that answering that question was potentially opening up a can of worms for him, but withholding information wouldn’t do any good in the long run. 

Neamhni recalled the night prior, when Gray had taken his place in front of Shade. The man had completely froze up, his muscles tense and his grip tight on Neamhni’s wrist. Only one word had come out of the man’s mouth.

 _‘Neamhni_ _…’_

“What did you see?” he asked. He couldn’t help being curious – he’d heard his _name_ after all, he needed to know why that had been the first thing to come out of Gray’s mouth if Shade had been using his semblance. It, just like so many other things about Gray, didn’t make any _sense._

Gray could also recall those events easily. He’d grabbed onto Neamhni’s wrist, but hadn’t let go as he was dragged down into Shade’s illusion. He’d completely forgotten about it by the time Jenna had been standing in front of him, bleeding from the chest and spitting disappointed words at him.

 _“You promised,_ _”_ she had said, _“You said you would protect us._ _”_

And then they had all appeared - all of the Hellhounds; all of his _friends._ They were all killed, and it had been entirely his fault. He still felt sick even now just thinking about it – it had felt so real. Even as he’d looked past them and seen one more body, covered in blood, with his own claws sticking out of their chest, he still hadn’t been able to see through the illusion.

But he had been holding onto something.

He remembered the moment when something had clicked in his head, as a muffled sound – a voice – tampered with what he was seeing in front of him. He _was_ holding onto something, and it belonged to that voice.

And eventually, in the space of a few moments, he had realized that the voice belonged to the body on the ground, that he was still holding onto something that was _alive,_ and can’t have been what he was seeing.

That’s when everything had changed.

Gray blinked at the floor, only just realizing Neamhni was waiting for an answer. He considered his words very carefully. “Dead bodies,” he said eventually. It was a very vague answer, and Neamhni dropped his shoulders, knowing that he wouldn’t have gotten a straight answer, anyway. What he hadn’t expected though, was for Gray to elaborate. 

“All of the Hellhounds,” he continued, looking up at the pipes on the ceiling. “All of them dead, because of me.” He spoke in a flat voice, as if he weren’t spilling what was being labeled as his worst fear, and Neamhni sat in stunned silence, amazed that he was actually being told this.

Gray closed his eyes for a moment. “And you,” he said in a murmur, “You were there, too.”


	26. Chapter 26

Gum stood in the middle of Neamhni’s apartment, her scroll against her ear. “He’s not here,” she said, turning to inspect her surroundings again. “But Umbra Bolt isn’t, either.”

There was a deep sigh on the other end, _“Don_ _’t tell me he_ _’s gone after the Alliance,_ _”_ Tarragon responded. Despite the fact that their teammate was suspended, they both knew how much he must have wanted his revenge, and he was stubborn enough that the word ‘suspension’ may not have stopped him. Still, he wasn’t dumb enough to do it alone. So whom would he be with?

 _“Come back to the station, Gum,_ _”_ Tarragon instructed, then. _“I_ _’m going to track his scroll._ _”_

_-_

Jenna was abruptly woken up when she rolled over and off the surface she had been sleeping on. A surprised yelp had passed her lips before she found herself wedged behind the front seat of the small car in the garage. As she muttered curses to herself, trying to pull herself back up onto the back seat where she had been sleeping, she noticed a pair of fox ears appear above her.

Jasper had been curled up on one of the front seats, and he was looking down at her while rubbing his eyes, “Do you have to be so loud?” he mumbled in complaint.

“Sorry,” Jenna muttered, pulling herself into a sitting position in the back seat. “Haven’t had to sleep in a car in a while,” she admitted. She was very glad of the fact, though. She then noticed there was another person who had been sleeping in the drivers seat, and they were stretching their arms out above them. Nigel must have climbed in last night after Jenna had fallen asleep.

“Any news, Nige?” she asked him.

The man shook his head, before twisting to look back at her, “Not as far as I know, but if you’re willing to face a grumpy Duos you can try waking the triplets,” he said, nodding his head over to the single bean bag, where the three of them were all using it as a pillow.

Because the windows of the car were never there to begin with though, his voice carried out into the garage. “Forget about it,” Duos muttered, not moving from where he was lying on the concrete, “I’m already awake.” The other two hummed as well, confirming that they were awake, also.

Jenna pushed the door open, “How did you guys sleep?” she asked.

Unum cracked open one eye, “We slept,” he replied. Jenna supposed that was probably the case for everyone, but they couldn’t really expect much more with where they were. Jasper was about to ask if they had heard anything from Gray, but Teres spoke up, already knowing what they would ask.

“We haven’t heard anything,” he said, slowly sitting up.

Nigel opened the driver’s door, then, saying the same thing that everybody was thinking. “So, what do we do?”

-

After Gray’s casual admission, there had been a lot of silence for quite a while in the dank basement. At first, Neamhni’s breath had caught in his throat and he’d just sat there completely baffled. Regardless of the fact that he’d heard his name last night, it was still a shock to hear Gray say what he had.

It wasn’t the most comfortable of silences, even when Neamhni ignored the irritation of the rope against his wrists.

After some time, Gray broke the silence and changed the mood all in one sentence. “So, you’re the huntsman,” he said lightly, “How do you suppose we get out of here?”

Neamhni glanced up from where he’d been looking at the floor. That _was_ a good question. He let his other concerns wash away for the time being, “Well despite my training, I don’t think I’ve been kidnapped by an underworld mastermind before,” he said. “So, I’m not sure.”

Gray was about to respond with a smart comment, but they then heard a sound coming from behind one of the doors, before it swung open. Both heads snapped towards Shade, who walked into the room with a smug smile.

“Good morning, boys,” he hummed. “Sleep well?” He looked between the two of then, sitting back to back as they were, both looking at him. He couldn’t have been happier with how the retrieval had turned out.

Gray had been the one who chose to respond, as he lifted a shoulder, “I wouldn’t call the hospitality five-star.”

Shade’s eyes narrowed just a little. “Good,” he said. “I wasn’t aiming for that.”

- 

Minutes later, Gray was stumbling as he was shoved hard in the back, almost falling to his knees on the hard concrete. Shade apparently wanted to have a ‘chat’ with him alone, and so he had been freed from the chair, only to be taken to an adjacent room, a lot smaller, and just as dank. It was a lot harder to control his balance, too, as his wrists were still tied behind his back. 

As soon as he had righted himself, he spun around to see that Shade had already closed the door behind him, and was regarding Gray with an amused expression.

“What’s so funny?” he asked harshly, eyes narrowed.

Shade’s expression turned into a chuckle, smooth and musical. “Just the fact that you thought you could get away with whatever you wanted.”

Gray looked defiantly at one of the corners in the room, “I’m not dead, yet.”

Shade nodded, agreeing with him as following Gray’s line of vision, “That is true.” He turned back to look at the faunus, then. “But there are things worse than death.” Gray’s gaze reluctantly moved back to Shade, noticing with unease that the man looked quite pleased with himself. “You may not have cared about threats directed straight at you, but I wonder how long those mutts of yours can hide?”

Gray tightened his jaw.

“I could keep you locked up here for as long as I wanted,” Shade continued, as if talking of some great holiday idea. “It wouldn’t matter to them whether you were dead or not. How long do you think they can survive without you?”

Gray wasn’t looking at him now. “They are capable,” he responded. He knew that, too. A lot of them had been surviving on their own before they met, but the conditions of such may have been different. Shade wasn’t talking about that though, and Gray knew it.

He had never cared whether anyone made threats against him, but they _had._ He had been their leader for so long, and had helped build up this rag-tag group of faunus into a working unit, a _family._ They wouldn’t _want_ to survive without him. He could bet that wherever they were right now, having not heard from him like he promised, the atmosphere would not be pleasant at all.

What was worse too, if he were left alive to rot in here, he would miss them. Shade’s words came back to haunt him very quickly, _there are things worse than death._

And what if the Alliance did find them? If they didn’t know what had happened to him, they were bound to come looking and become easy targets.

He spoke through clenched teeth, “What’s your point?” he demanded.

“My point,” Shade said, that smug look on his face again, “Is that I still have a task unfinished, and I am willing to give you one last chance to follow through with it.”

-

Leaves crunched under Gum’s boots as she followed Tarragon through the trees, their path having taken a major detour from the populated streets of Vale. The sun was bright above them, and her internal complaints about it made her anticipate winter. That thought then turned into an amused one of how it would be much easier to spot Neamhni in that case, too.

“How much farther?” she asked. 

Tarragon was walking just in front of her, looking down at her scroll, and she stopped. She then looked up, and saw the building that was partly hidden behind the trees in front of them. “Not much farther at all,” she said. “It’s right here.”

-

Neamhni sat back in the same room he had woken up in, only now he was alone. The chair that Gray had been sitting in was empty behind him, and he was left with nothing but his thoughts. Out of the two of them, Gray knew Shade’s way of thinking more than he did-he’d only briefly met the man once before anyhow-so Neamhni couldn’t make any kind of guess of why he’d dragged Gray off to ‘chat’. 

There may have been a sinking feeling in his gut when he thought of what that ‘chat’ might entail. Neamhni didn’t want to imagine what Shade might do to someone who was considered a traitor to him.

And then there was the thought of what would happen to himself. At any moment, Shade could walk back through that door and kill him without a word. What a shameful way to die, having been distracted by the sound of his own name when he was captured, and then take his last breath while tied to a chair – unable to move, unable to defend himself or fight back. He dropped his head with a sigh, closing his eyes.

Not for the first time, Neamhni thought of how much of an idiot he had been. 

_Creak._

His head snapped up. Shade stood in the doorway, a smug look on his face again. Only this time, he appeared to be incredibly pleased about something. The feeling that dropped like a weight in Neamhni’s gut was not a pleasant one. Shade stepped aside, then, and the hare faunus was shocked to see Gray step forwards, completely free from his restraints.

He had absolutely nothing holding him back. The feeling in Neamhni’s stomach seemed to double in weight then, as Gray-his head tilted down-walked into the room. His eyes were shadowed under his fringe. Shade was still standing by the door looking happy with himself; just what had he done in the minutes they had been gone?

Gray continued to walk until he had reached Neamhni, stopping in front of him. That damn haircut still shadowed his eyes. Neamhni looked between him and Shade, “What’s going on?” he demanded. 

“Gray was right, you know,” Shade spoke up as he walked into the room, also. “I overheard your conversation earlier, how he said he had thought he didn’t have a choice. Quite the contrary, actually- he’s always had a choice. It’s just unfortunate enough for you that he’s always chosen those mutts over some huntsman.” He was extremely satisfied with the look of dread on Neamhni’s face, then. 

“And of course, that extends to his own life, as it always does,” Shade added, pulling something out from under his coat, “We are a selfish race, after all.”

Neamhni felt like he already knew what was happening, and his heart was beginning to pound. Shade had pulled out what appeared to be a pistol – _Gray_ _’s_ pistol – and had thrown it through the air to the wolf faunus. As Gray caught it with ease, Neamhni’s thoughts from earlier came spiraling back, along with three words that Gray himself had said a week ago.

_That was silly._

Only Neamhni had never been silly, not at all. He had been completely and utterly stupid.

Gray’s jaw was tight as he raised his pistol to the faunus in front of him, and he was finally able to look up from the ground, to meet Neamhni’s gaze. He could see the way the man’s pulse was hammering from the veins in his neck, and it looked as if it matched his own. Neamhni’s dark eyes were wide. Gray’s hand shook.

He could only manage to murmur a short sentence, “I’m sorry, Nea.”

Gray pulled the trigger.


	27. Chapter 27

The door easily gave as Gum kicked it open, the sound echoing through the basement. It was a grand, loud entrance as her and Tarragon stormed the room, and would have caught the attention of all the occupants inside.

All of three rats, that is.

The room was empty. Just like every other room in the whole building. Gum already had her teeth clenched, frustration boiling in her gut. “Nothing.”

Tarragon walked past her, “Not nothing,” she said, looking down at her scroll. She glanced up for a moment, and caught sight of something sitting on the floor. It was exactly what they had been looking for, and yet her disappointment was evident from the sigh that passed her lips. She walked over, and picked it up.

It was Neamhni’s scroll.

Gum and Tarragon just looked at each other then for a moment, as the reality slowly sunk in.

Something had happened to their team mate, something that had caused someone to take his scroll from him and purposely plant it in this deserted location as a decoy.

Gum was glaring at the scroll like it had spat at her, “Shit.”

-

_BANG._

Neamhni’s heart stopped.

His eyes had clenched shut on reflex, his whole body tensing, waiting for it to be over. After a moment, dread and fear then turned into confusion. Nothing had happened.

Neamhni opened his eyes. Gray’s pistol was no longer pointed at him, but at Shade. Despite the relief that hit him at seeing that, the look on Gray’s face made it dissipate. He was shocked - mouth agape at something unexpected.

Neamhni could just see Shade still standing by the door. His gaze was hard, and he was holding a weapon – what appeared to be a pole arm with a holo-blade coming out of it - which must have stopped the bullet from hitting him.

He looked _furious._

Shade lowered his weapon as that fury continued to burn in his eyes, and Gray stood frozen, having used his one and only shot.

“How _dare_ you,” that smooth voice was laced with anger. Neamhni looked between the two of them: Gray had a pistol with no ammo, and Shade was blocking the exit, a fully functional weapon that he had mastered in his hand.

It did not look good at all. Not to mention the fact that Neamhni was also still tied to a chair and completely useless.

Shade took a step forwards, “That was the last of your chances, Buralo.”

Neamhni was a little surprised at how wolf-like Gray appeared in the next moment, as he lunged at Shade, teeth bared like a growl was about to rip past his lips.

All Neamhni saw was Shade spinning his weapon before they both disappeared from his sight, and so he could only hear the struggle. There was a thump, a grunt from Gray and a taunt from Shade. A clang echoed off of the walls, followed by a hiss of breath.

The exchange was over in a matter of seconds, and Neamhi could tell that was so because of the pained sound that came from Gray, and the man hit the ground just at the corner of his vision.

Shade was quick to place his foot right on Gray’s back as he grabbed a fist full of the man’s hair, pulling his head back.

“I can’t believe you,” he spat. “It is human instinct to protect one’s own life above all else, and here you are just giving it up?” He sounded disgusted that he had even considered himself allied with Gray at any point, “I have never known a man to be so _weak._ ”

Gray had his teeth clenched hard, and he defiantly swung a fist up blindly. Neamhni watched as Shade caught him by the elbow with his free hand, and ruthlessly wrenched his arm back.  

Gray’s eyes flew wide as a cry of pain echoed through the basement, making the hairs stand up on the back of Neamhni’s neck. It sounded horrible. Gray’s face was twisted with pain as Shade let go of the faunus’ arm, and it dropped to the floor as he instantly reached for his shoulder.

Shade’s satisfied grin turned into a laugh as he yanked on Gray’s hair again, turning the faunus’ head so he was looking towards Neamhni. “Come on boys, you should have known this wouldn’t work out,” he explained, looking between the two of them. “Think about it; you’re a wolf and a rabbit.” His weapon began to change then, as it folded into itself and back into what looked like a gun. “And if the wolf is too pathetic to do what he was born to do,” Shade’s grin made Neamhni’s skin crawl, and his dread from before came back full force when that gun was raised to point at him. Shade’s gaze hit him then, harsh and intimidating, “Then the leader of the pack steps in.”

Gray’s eyes were wide, and he tried to move, but his shoulder practically screamed at him and he could only let out a hiss between his teeth, Shade’s foot still pressing down on his back.

That smooth voice was at his ear then, sending a terrifying shiver down his spine, “I’m going to kill the rabbit slowly and painfully,” he announced delicately, “And you’re going to watch the whole thing.”

As Gray’s jaw clenched, Neamhni wondered how many times he was going to stare death in the face. This time it took the form of Shade’s gun, but as he looked at those eyes, bright with fury and excitement, he was suddenly missing Gray’s pistol and how swift it would have been that way. It would have only taken a matter of seconds - a bullet to the head and he’d be gone.

But this? Oh, this was going to be agony. This shot wasn’t going to be a kill shot, it would be one of many wounds that would probably make him _want_ to die. He’d dealt with people like Shade before, had seen the horrors that had been carried out in similar situations, but he’d never been at the receiving end of it. _Well, there_ _’s a first time for everything._

Shade grinned, and pulled the trigger.

In the next moment, four sounds were heard. There was the loud _bang_ of the gun, a grunt of pain from Neamhni, a distinct clang, and an infuriated growl from Shade.

Gray stared wide-eyed at where the bullet had grazed Neamhni’s arm, off target, before Shade let go of his hair. A mysterious chain had wrapped around the gun in Shade’s hand, and just as Gray spotted it, a figure flew in the small window, and he almost choked on his own spit in shock.

It was Jenna, and as soon as her chain had knocked Shade’s gun she had flicked it back and around at him again. Shade’s weapon had already transformed back into the pole arm, the holo blade a bright blue as he swung it towards her, and Gray was almost too caught up in his shock to see the dagger that the faunus had dropped beside him.

He scrambled to his feet, cursing loudly at the pain in his shoulder as he grabbed the dagger with his left hand and darted over to Neamhni. The hare faunus didn’t say a word as Gray dropped to the ground in front of him and began to sloppily cut the rope around his ankles, muttering curses under his breath. His heart was pounding – right behind them Jenna was squaring off with Shade, and there was only one piece of knowledge that he had that gave him any confidence at all that she could hold her own.

She engaged him with fire in her eyes and several sharp flicks of her wrist. It was evident that Jenna could not take Shade down all on her own, but the best she could do was keep him occupied, and she was the best one for that job as all the blows he landed had no affect on her.

Gray had only just cut through the last of the rope around Neamhni’s ankles when the man finally said something. It as a shout of alarm, as Nihil had just barged through the door and had his sights set on the two of them. Gray had only just turned to look when Neamhni stood and spun; swinging the chair he was still partially tied to straight into Nihil. The man stumbled and hit the wall, but was nowhere near taken down, and his eyes shone with terrifying fury as he righted himself.

Neither Gray nor Neamhni would be able to take him on - they had practically no weapons, Gray had an injured shoulder, and Neamhni was still tied to the chair. They’d only looked at each other with equal levels of panic in their eyes, before more commotion appeared by the door.

Familiar faces. It was a huge relief to see them - Unum, Teres and Nigel all barged in, armed and ready to fight. Nigel jumped straight in to help Jenna, and the other two were on top of Nihil just after he’d kicked Neamhni to the ground. Unable to put a hand out to break his fall, he’d landed on his side with a hard thud.

“Nea!” Gray had called for him, but was distracted momentarily when something was thrown at him. It was his knuckle dusters, and he caught the two cuffs gratefully, grinning as he slid them over his wrists.  He nodded his thanks to Unum, before darting back over to the huntsman to cut him free. His claws managed to slice through the rope much faster than the dagger he had before, and as soon as Neamhni was released, he’d made a grateful sound and pulled himself to his feet.

He was very sore, but that thought dissipated when a voice called out to him, “Leveret!” He glanced over to Nigel, who pulled something from his coat, and threw it through the air, before engaging with Shade again. 

Neamhni grinned as he caught Umbra Bolt, and instantly it transformed into bow mode. It didn’t matter how sore he was, he was going to deal some damage.

Gray was holding onto his injured arm as he assessed their surroundings. Jenna was taking hits from Shade, but thanks to her semblance – showing itself in the form of a white glow across her skin– none of them were doing any damage as of yet. You had to hit Jenna more than once to get past that barrier, and she used the strength it gave her to hit back just as hard.

She threw her chain at Shade’s ankle, but before she could throw him off of his feet, he used the connection to his advantage and yanked her forwards. She skidded to the ground in front of him, but rolled to the side right before he could squash her. Nigel was then jumping in to try and strike at him, but while they were running out of energy, Shade still seemed as strong as ever.

Nigel and Jenna weren’t going to last much longer, Gray thought - they needed to take down Nihil so they could help. Gray glanced back to their other enemy just in time to see Neamhni call out to Unum and Teres, and somehow the brothers understood what he was going to do. They both threw Nihil back into the wall, and before he could move, Neamhni fired dust round after dust round until his arms and legs were all frozen there. He knew that Nihil had gotten out of the ice before, but he just needed it to hold him for a short amount of time.

Gray watched as Neamhni advanced towards Nihil, dropping an empty case of ammo and pulling another from his belt and reloading. It wasn’t the dust that he was going to use though, because he walked straight up to Nihil and swung Umbra right into his abdomen, almost as if it were a punch.

Nihil’s eyes flew wide as Neamhni’s taser shocked him, making his muscles spasm involuntarily and a grunt of pain pass his lips. Neamhni was aware of what the sufficient time to taser someone was, but he held it there longer, until he was satisfied that he’d done enough. When he pulled back, Nihil’s head fell back against the wall. He would have fallen straight to the ground if it weren’t for the ice holding him up.

Unum and Teres had already darted over to help Jenna and Nigel, and Neamhni turned to look at Gray for a moment. He was still holding onto his arm, but wasn’t out of the fight – he wanted a part of this too, and Neamhni could tell.

There were now six of them against Shade, odds that not even he could overwhelm. Neamhni couldn’t help but grin as he looked at Gray, and the other faunus mirrored his expression, as if they were sharing the thought of _let_ _’s take him down._  


	28. Chapter 28

Shade had just thrown Jenna against the wall when he saw that Unum and Teres were darting over, so he quickly hit Nigel in the gut with his pole arm, before turning towards them, his weapon now a gun again as he shot at them. They had anticipated this though, and they joined their pistols to create shields, blocking the bullets easily. Shade only had a matter of seconds before all six of them would be on top of him, so he made his decision, and launched into his final move.

He’d known that Nigel would be back on his feet already, that Jenna would be swinging her chain towards him again in a moment, that Unum and Teres were about to shoot at him, but that didn’t hinder his thoughts. He just knew that he had one task left unfinished and it was standing right behind him.

Shade then did the last thing that they expected, he turned his back on the majority of his enemies and threw an object, fast as lightning through the air. A second later, Jenna’s chain had wrapped around Shade’s arm, Nigel had kicked him in the back, and he’d been forced down onto the concrete by the Tenebris brothers. But he still had a grin on his face. Nobody had even realized what happened until Neamhni choked out a cry of pain, stopping in his tracks.

Still holding onto his arm, Gray spun towards him, his eyes flying wide, “Neamhni!”

Having known he was done for, Shade had thrown a dagger, and now it stuck out from Neamhni’s gut, blood already soaking through his shirt. The faunus’ eyes were wide as he fell to his knees, his hands around the dagger. Gray was already by his side by the time Neamhi wrenched it out, his eyes pressed shut and spitting a loud curse through clenched teeth.

Gray practically yelled at him, “Don’t pull it out you idiot!” but it was already done, the blood soaked dagger on the floor and Neamhni hunching forwards on one hand, the other pressing into the wound. Shade was laughing where he was on the concrete, and being the only one not holding him down, Jenna swung her boot into his head. His laughing stopped as he lost consciousness, and all four of them darted over to Neamhni as Gray gingerly pushed him onto his back.

“ _Shit,_ ” Gray cursed as he saw the amount of blood that was already there, and it covered his hands as he ripped Neamhni’s shirt and bunched it up over the wound, the pain in his shoulder a constant pulse of agony as he moved. The huntsman let out a loud sound of pain as Gray pressed into the wound, and then Neamhni promptly bit down onto his fist to shut himself up.

“We have to get him out of here,” Nigel announced, “Before he loses too much blood.”

Gray’s pulse was hammering, and his head snapped up when he heard Neamhni try to choke something out. “I-”

The wolf faunus cut him off as he grabbed hold of Neamhni’s wrist to put it over the wound, “Shut up and press down,” he demanded, and Nigel was suddenly stepping forwards to pick him up.

All Gray could smell was sweat and blood as the five of them ran out of the room, and he couldn’t even place the fury that was burning in his own gut, as they had to leave without finishing off Shade _or_ Nihil. He wasn’t going to let any of the Hellhounds stay back to do it, either – especially since none of them were even supposed to be here.

By the time they made it outside, they could hear sirens. _Neamhni_ _’s team?_ Gray thought. Surely they would have figured out that something was up already. He hoped that they were smart enough, at least.

“Someone’s coming,” Nigel said, hearing the sirens also. They were so far out from the town center that it couldn’t have been anything else. It sounded like they were growing closer, and there was a red handprint on Gray’s jacket when he let go of his arm.

“Neamhni’s team,” he announced, before turning on the faunus’, unable to keep his thoughts to himself. “Now what the _hell_ are all of you doing here? I told you to-”

Jenna jumped in, raising a hand, “We know, you can kick our asses later, now what are we doing?”

Gray looked at Neamhni, eyes pressed shut and covered in blood, before looking in the direction of the sirens. He turned back to the Hellhounds, “You’re all getting out of here. I’ll stay with Nea until his team arrives, and they can look after him.”

Unum tightened his jaw, “And what are they going to do to you?” he demanded.

“Who fucking knows,” Gray responded, “But I don’t want them to see a single one of you.” He could see in their eyes that they didn’t want to leave him again, but he wasn’t going to allow any room for arguing. “I mean it, now get the fuck out of here before I shove my claws up your asses.”

Nigel placed Neamhni gently on the ground, but even after he stood again, they all still hesitated. Gray set one of his hardest glares on them, “ _Now._ _”_

He waited until they had all completely disappeared before he knelt beside Neamhni, folding his jacket under the man’s head as the sirens continued to wail nearby. The huntsman was still tense, but he looked so much weaker than before.

“Stay awake for me, Nea,” he said, gently tapping the side of his face, “They’re almost here.”

Those eyes opened to look up at him, then. They were distant and half lidded, but he was still conscious, and that was good enough for now. “Gray,” he muttered, still managing to hold his torn shirt over the stab wound, “I’m sorry.”

Silver eyes widened, as Gray stared down at him in disbelief, “What the fuck are _you_ sorry for?” he asked. Instead of getting a response though, Neamhni closed his eyes again. Gray glanced down to the wound to see that he was no longer pressing against it.

“Nea!” Gray shouted at him, pressing against the man’s hand to keep pressure on the wound, but he didn’t even get a wince. “Look at me!” he shouted, pulse hammering as he hit the man’s cheek repeatedly. “Neamhni!”

Gray was panicking. Blood was everywhere - soaking Neamhni’s shirt and staining Gray’s hands, but that was the last thing on his mind because the man wasn’t responding to him. He’d forgotten any usual procedures for a moment as he yelled at the huntsman, but when his brain kicked into gear again, he reached for Neamhni’s neck to feel his pulse.

It was there. It was weak, but is heart was still beating - he was still alive. Gray hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath, and that thought alone helped him remember to check the man’s breathing, as well. He could feel the soft, short breaths falling on his hand when he placed it in front of his nose, and was thankful for the small victory, but Neamhni was most certainly unconscious.

“Hurry the fuck up already,” he muttered to himself as the sirens continued to grow closer. Surely they were only just around the corner, it was ringing in his ears. His fringe had tumbled in front of his face as he knelt over Neamhni, obscuring his view of the ground beyond him, until he sat back slightly - and then he saw it.

Gray’s breath caught in his throat the second that he noticed he wasn’t alone. There was pair of feet standing right in front of him, on the other side of Neamhni’s body – how hadn’t he heard anyone approach?

The thought had barely entered his mind before one of those feet swung straight into his chest with enough force to make him choke. He couldn’t even let out a sound of surprise – the breath had been forced out of his lungs and he was sent sprawling across the bitumen. His shoulder was in agony by the time he came to a stop, trying to lift himself up with stinging, scraped up arms.

His chest was on fire – Gray was trying to drag in fast, ragged breaths, but it felt like nothing, as if the air was going everywhere but to his lungs. He gripped his chest with one hand, _why can_ _’t I breathe?!_

Wide eyes flicked back over to Neamhni and the mysterious pair of feet, and his blood ran cold. Nihil stood over the unconscious huntsman, twirling a dagger in his hand, a deadly glint in his eyes. He looked ridiculously pleased with himself. He caught Gray’s eye for just a moment, before he stopped twirling the dagger and pointed it straight down.

Gray felt the dread slam into his gut like a freight train, _No._

Looking back, Gray couldn’t remember how he’d managed to make himself move. His shoulder had been in agony ever since Shade had wrenched it back, his chest was on fire from the force of Nihil’s kick, and he would have sworn that no air was in his lungs at all. He was exhausted and aching and breathless, and in any other situation, would not have had the energy to move.

But as Nihil moved to throw the dagger down towards Neamhni’s neck, the only thought on Gray’s mind was to get there first.

So he moved.

The throbbing of his shoulder up until that point had been incredibly painful, but it turned into excruciating in the next moment.

He’d heard a gunshot.

Gray was only vaguely aware of Nihil hitting the ground, as he managed to register that the dagger had sunk into his already injured shoulder, increasing the pain tenfold. He wanted to yell, he wanted to shout and curse, but he still couldn’t breathe. He was aware of Neamhni’s body under him, blood soaking his own clothes. The huntsman’s hair tickled his face as Gray gasped for air, and he became aware of distant voices approaching, of feet pounding on the pavement.

By the time he felt hands on him, pulling him away from Neamhni, he was incredibly light headed. The words they were shouting around him barely registered in Gray’s ears.

“It’s Leveret!”

Car doors were slamming.

“…knife embedded in shoulder. Sir, can you hear me?”

Shouts were calling for paramedics.

“He’s getting away! Secure the building!” 

More feet were hitting the ground rhythmically nearby.

“Unconscious, single stab wound to abdomen, significant blood loss…”

The voices swirled around him, shouting words and directions, until they became incoherent, and then, finally, silent.

-

Unum threw a punch into the bag so hard, it swung back and smacked into the wall. Everyone was tense, everyone was aggravated. They hadn’t heard from Gray in days.

They’d been checking the news, snooping around near the station, everything. Whatever had happened with the Alliance was being kept well under the public eye, and it was infuriating. They’d returned to the garage the day prior, having been confident that they were safe for the time being, but none of them were concerned for themselves.

Jasper was throwing darts at the board that he’d managed to put back together, each one sinking in further than the last. “Do you think he’s been arrested?” he asked.

Jenna pulled a drink out of the fridge and slammed the door shut, “He was injured, they can’t have arrested him straight away,” she said, remembering the moment when she’d heard his shout of pain through the window. She wouldn’t have known he was there otherwise. “Besides, what proof do they have that he’s done anything wrong?”

Duos shook his head from where he stood by the window, “They have plenty of proof, he was a part of the ambush. Numerous huntsmen saw him there when they rescued Neamhni and River.”

“Not to mention,” Nigel added, “He allied himself with Vale’s biggest underworld mastermind. That in itself is incriminating.”  Nigel then seemed to realize something, “and speaking of the ambush,” he turned to look between the Tenebris brothers, all in different parts of the room, “You three better be keeping yourselves under the radar – they saw you guys, too.”

Teres was slumped on one of the couches, a scowl on his face, “Yeah, we know.”

The dart board finally fell off of the wall again, and Jasper just stared at it, not moving to pick it up again. “So what do we do, now?” he asked.

All of the Hellhounds looked at each other. It was Unum who decided to answer, having given up his plight to tear the punching bag in half, as he walked back into the door way and leant against it with one shoulder.

“We wait.”


	29. Chapter 29

Gray sat, his back against the brick wall, leisurely tapping his fingers on the bench below him. He currently only had the use of his left arm while his shoulder healed, and his right arm sat in a sling to keep him from moving it. His shoulder ached, despite the pain killers he’d been given, and he dreaded when the station physician would be visiting him again to redress his wound.

He’d been stuck here for days, seeing the same god damn faces over and over, but none of the people he actually wanted to see. His view wasn’t all that great either – three sides of the room made of brick and the other being the bars that were sunk into the ground. He had a limited view of the corridor just beyond, could hear distant voices every now and again, but mostly he was alone.

Alone to sit and think the same sentence over and over again. _What had happened to Neamhni?_

Gray had woken up in a hospital only a day after the chaos. Despite having been able to take a pretty good guess at what had put him there, they’d reiterated the list anyway. Dislocated shoulder, deltoid knife wound, minor chest trauma, fractured rib.

He’d only been slightly surprised to see that one of his arms was cuffed to the bed, and as soon as he’d been deemed coherent enough, he’d had a visitor. It was a man he’d never seen before.

“Detective Inspector Sanchez,” he’d introduced himself as, pulling up a chair beside Gray’s bed. “I don’t think I need to explain why I’m here.”

It took an extreme amount of self-restraint for Gray not to roll his eyes. Instead, he nodded to the cuff on his wrist, “Is this really necessary?” he asked.

Sanchez nodded, “It’s common protocol."

 _Yeah, like I_ _’m gonna get very far when I_ _’m relying on ridiculous amounts of painkillers just to breathe,_ he thought sarcastically. He’d merely let out a sigh and leant his head back onto the pillows, trying not to show how uncomfortable it was just to get air into his lungs. “Go on, grill me,” he’d muttered.

Even after giving his explanation of what happened, the questions hadn’t stopped. He didn’t think his word would mean anything anyway, so he’d simply explained what happened and left out all the ‘why’s’. It wasn’t until he’d been let out from the hospital days later and been dumped in the cell he was in now, that those questions were asked.

“Does it matter?” he’d said the day before, sitting in an interrogation room across from Tarragon.

“It does,” she’s said, leaning forwards on the table, “It matters for our reports, and for your assessment.”

Gray had risen an eyebrow, “Assessment?”

She’d diverted his question, “Let’s just say that if you can co-operate with us, we have room to be lenient.”

As much as he hated hospitals, he was missing the pillows and morphine as he sat in the plastic chair, his chest and shoulder aching.  Even if he didn’t want to “co-operate”, he wouldn’t have been bothered to do anything else in this condition.

“So why don’t we start with the obvious question,” she’d said then, sitting back in her chair again. “We all saw what you did for Leveret the other day – it wildly contradicts your previous actions. Why did you send him and Glas into an ambush?” 

Gray fiddled with the sling, looking over towards the corner of the room. “Because if I didn’t, some people very dear to me were going to get hurt,” he said simply.

“By who?”

Gray’s gaze had flicked back to her, then. “Who do you think?”

-

Neamhni looked up when there was a knock from the doorway. River was standing there, an interesting look on his face before he slowly sauntered in. It was good to see him – the light back in his eyes and the colour returned to his skin. He hadn’t seen the man at all since he’d woken up a week ago, connected to all sorts of machines and aching all over. He’d apparently been out for a few days, and even when waking he’d been exhausted.

“How are you feeling?” River asked him, coming over to stand by the bed. It was almost amusing how their positions had switched.

Neamhni considered the question, before giving his reply, “I don’t think you want to know the answer to that.”

River could only let out a short chuckle, “Probably not,” he agreed. “Though I _can_ imagine,” he joked.

Neamhni shook his head, a small smile on his lips. In the years he’d been a huntsman so far, he’d never had a deep stab wound. “Fuck, it hurts.”

River was smiling along with the joke, too. “It does,” he agreed. “We can compare scars, later.”

Neamhni could manage a small chuckle. “Speaking of, what are you doing walking around, anyway? Shouldn’t you be resting?” he asked.

River shrugged, “I’ve been on my ass for far too long. I’m not doing much,” he reasoned. He glanced around the room for a moment. “Seriously though,” he said then, “Don’t do that again.” The look in his eyes said it all: _you scared the shit out of me._

Neamhni would have felt guilty for disappearing had he have had a choice in the matter, “It wasn’t _that_ bad,” he said, trying to be light hearted about it.

River shook his head, looking at the wall behind him, “Hypervolemic shock,” he repeated the words he had been told, as if he didn’t believe them. “You are one lucky son of a bitch.”

If he were being honest, Neamhni didn’t want to think about it. “Nothing a blood transfusion couldn’t fix.”

River then decided to change the topic, having had enough of life threatening conditions. “Have you heard anything about Buralo?” he asked.

Neamhni shrugged, “Just that he was being questioned.”

His friend looked surprised, “They didn’t tell you?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

The look River received was one of confusion, “Tell me what?”

River seemed surprised at Neamhni’s ignorance, and moved to enlighten him. “Buralo was in here too up until a few days ago,” he said, gesturing behind him.

The faunus didn’t seem to understand why, as surely the injury he’d had wasn’t _that_ bad. He thought back to the struggle in the basement, where Gray had been thrown to the ground. “Well, Shade screwed up his shoulder, but-”

River shook his head, “No, no, not that. He-well I only heard it from Gum, but-” he looked around the room as he paused, “I’m pretty sure he saved your life.”

Neamhni’s eyebrows shot up, shock clear on his face. “What?”

River moved to explain, before thinking better of it, and asking something first. “What do you remember, before you passed out?”

Neamhni sat back against the pillows, thinking to himself. His eyes looked distant as he recalled the chaos. “I was in the basement when I was stabbed…and then I was carried outside. I think he was trying to get me to stay awake.” But he had passed out. “Wait, did I-”

He was cut off just by River shaking his head. The words the man said next made his blood run cold. “Nihil showed up again after you passed out.”

Neamhni could remember freezing the man against the wall, before shocking him with his taser. He’d never used it on someone for quite as long, but he’d already gotten the impression that Nihil had a higher endurance for most things. Still, that he had come back so quickly-and while he himself was unconscious-he couldn’t imagine what could have happened.

The question was in his eyes, and River answered. “He was going to stab you in the throat.”

Without realizing it, Neamhni had instinctively reached a hand up to his neck, which was still intact. Nothing had even touched him. “What happened?”

River gestured with open palms, “Apparently Buralo dived in at the last minute. When I saw him get wheeled past in here,” River nodded over towards the door, “He had a knife embedded in his shoulder.”

Neamhni didn’t really know what to do with this information. “Huh,” he let out a breath of air, staring at the wall behind River. Something was trying to push its way up inside his head, from where he’d buried it a couple of weeks ago. It was something nice, something pleasant. After a moment, he looked back at his friend, “You know, he spent the entirety of the night before trying to protect me, too.”

-

Since Gray had woken up after the chaos, he’d managed to piece together enough information to know what had happened to the rest of the Alliance. Sanchez had mentioned Shade being arrested – therefore he was probably being interrogated somewhere, too – and Tarragon had informed him that Nihil had managed to get away.

“He can’t have gotten far with a gunshot wound, though,” Tarragon had added, more to herself.

“You’d be surprised,” Gray had responded. “He and Viscera can be very slippery when they want to be.” The look he’d received in return was a curious one.

Gray was pulled out of his thoughts when there was a sound in the corridor outside his cell. Out of all the answers he’d gotten in the last week or so, there was still one question plaguing him. Every person he had asked, had merely deflected it.

_“I_ _’m the one asking questions here._ _”_

_“I_ _’d have other things to worry about if I were you._ _”_

_“That_ _’s none of your concern._ _”_

This time, it was another of Neamhni’s team mates approaching his cell, and he was determined to try again. He tried to recall who she had been addressed as.

“O’Nee, is it?” he jumped in before she could say anything. She nodded once. “What happened to-”

“Neamhni?” she cut in for him, leaning against the bars with one arm. “He’s fine. I suppose we have you to thank for that,” she added, though it didn’t sound like she was pleased.

Gray picked it up easily, “You don’t want to thank me,” he said. It was a statement, not a question.

She stared at him evenly through the bars. “No, I don’t.” She stood up straight again, then. “Especially since you were the one who caused this whole mess in the first place.”

Gray could think of several retorts to that, like _yes but who was it that told the man to call me?_ But decided to keep those to himself.

Having said that, Gum knew that there was layers and layers to said mess, and she wasn’t going to dive into it all with the criminal now. “I didn’t come here to point fingers though,” she said then, putting hands in pockets, “I’m supposed to inform you that Shade actually admitted to using those threats.”

Gray rose an eyebrow, “And why is that of any importance?” he asked. “It doesn’t excuse anything I did.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Gum agreed, “But given that and a few other things, we’re willing to strike a deal.”

Narrowing his eyes cautiously, Gray decided to ask, “What kind of deal?”

“Well,” she began to explain. “Instead of serving time as one usually would, each of your infractions can be counted as part of a debt.” The way she was explaining it gave Gray the idea that they had done this sort of thing before. “And we have the perfect idea for how you can repay that debt.” 


	30. Chapter 30

Gray didn’t even think twice before dropping down onto his couch, the old cushions sinking under his weight easily. He let his head fall back against it – he had missed home. From the stains on the carpet, to the hole in the wall, to the cushions that smelt like smoke, it was so good to be home. His bass guitar was still sitting in the corner, and as he glanced at it, a thought crossed his mind of how it had been too long since he played it properly, but he quickly dismissed it. His arm was still in a sling, after all.

He let out a sigh – another four weeks and his shoulder should be mostly healed. Until then, he imagined he was going to have a _lot_ of fun dealing with only one arm.

And not only that, but he wasn’t anywhere near being in the clear yet. But at least he was home. The only thing that was missing now was-

He heard the unmistakable sound of someone almost barging down his front door. By the time he’d turned his head, a group of faunus had already exploded into his apartment with smiles on their faces.

He’d barely noticed the fond look on his own face when they all crowded around him, chirping happy greetings as Jasper jumped on the arm rest and the Tenebris brothers sunk into the couch beside him.

After greeting them with a small smile, Gray checked his scroll, having only sent them a message ten minutes ago. “That was record time,” he commented.

Jenna folded her arms from where she’d perched on the coffee table across from him, “Did you really expect anything else? You’ve been MIA for weeks.” The others nodded.

Gray glanced over to the other side of the room, “I know. Sorry.”

Nigel was eyeing him from where he stood beside Jenna. “We want to know everything,” he said, before nodding towards his shoulder, “Starting with that.”

Gray glanced down at the sling, but he knew that Nigel wasn’t referring to just that – there were bandages visible just underneath the collar of his shirt. From the injury that had happened just after he’d ordered them all to leave.

So, he dived into explanations. Their reactions to it all was as expected – The Tenebris brothers nodding their heads, already guessing Gray’s usual way of reacting to things; Jasper listening with raised eyebrows and amusing expressions when anything painful was mentioned; Nigel getting annoyed at him for ‘being a reckless bastard’, for which Gray responded with, “And you lot aren’t?”

“And as for this,” he continued, moving his collar aside so the bandages were a little more clear. “Nihil happened to show up again just after you guys left.” As soon as he spoke, it was like a wave of tension hitting them all, visible in their faces and postures. “I didn’t even notice he was there until he’d kicked me in the chest and broken one of my ribs.”

That seemed to make a lot of sense, as a few of them had noticed that his breaths were shallower than usual – his way of trying to avoid pain.

Gray shrugged then, “I don’t entirely remember the rest, but I know for certain that he was going to kill Neamhni, and I had to get there first, so…” he gestured to his shoulder, as if to say, _I got stabbed instead._

They’d all had their own ideas and thoughts on the situation with Neamhni, but no matter how downplayed it may have been in their heads, this seemed to bring them all up to scratch. Gray may be reckless, but he also still had a modicum of common sense and self-preservation in most situations.

It was Teres who spoke first, after that. “And what exactly had Shade done to your shoulder before this?” he asked.

Gray thought back to what the doctor had told him, “Apparently, it was dislocated. I was lucky enough to be unconscious when they fixed it up.”

So, a dislocated shoulder _with_ a knife wound. “Ouch,” Jasper said.

Gray glanced at him with amusement in his eyes, “Ouch indeed.”

Nigel then asked what had happened after that and why he had been gone for so long, so Gray continued his explanations. He reiterated what Sanchez had told him while cuffed to the hospital bed, followed by his transfer to the station and the days of questioning that had followed that.

“I don’t get it,” Duos was saying, “Why did they let you go, then?”

Gray shook his head, “Technically, they didn’t. They just let me come home, but I’m still in their custody, so to speak.” He leant down with his free arm to pull up the bottom of his jeans, revealing something strapped to his ankle. “I’m under house arrest.”

Jenna raised her eyebrows, “What, so you can’t leave at all?”

Gray shook his head, “Not exactly. I can go places I need to go, it just has to be organized in advance. I’m going to be spending most of my time at the station, anyway.”

Nigel gave him a confused look, “Doing what?”

Gray turned to him as he recalled his conversation with Gum. “They’re calling it ‘community service.’”

-

Neamhni sat on the edge of the hospital bed, his small duffle bag sitting on the chair, all packed. He was finally allowed to go home, and he couldn’t wait to sleep in his own bed for once. Granted, he was still on painkillers and would be mostly confined to his bed anyway, but after a few weeks in a hospital anything would sound inviting. No more people talking outside the door all hours of the day and night, no more beeping machines, no more nurses coming in and waking him up to check on him.

He needed to return in a week for a check-up anyway, but he would enjoy being home, he knew that much. He was just waiting for Gum to arrive and he’d be free to go.

As he sat pondering what the next few weeks would entail, his thoughts wandered to Gray. He hadn’t heard much else on what had happened to him other than what River had found out, but Neamhni could assume that Gray was still locked up at the station. He couldn’t imagine getting a blade in an already dislocated joint, let alone being questioned by the police before its even started healing. It didn’t sound like it would be pleasant, at all.

Neamhni hadn’t been able to stop thinking about all of the chaos that had happened since he’d met Gray. His own thoughts and ideals had been shuffled around so many times it was almost disorientating to think of. He’d picked up the phone all those months ago, thinking of Gray as nothing but an attractive criminal to keep an eye on, not someone he could have ever imagined growing attached to.

And it didn’t happen often, either. It wasn’t something that Neamhni was very prone to, which was why it had caught him so off guard when he’d realized just how much he’d been enjoying Gray’s company. But things had been complicated and uncertain, after Neamhni’s identity was revealed it was like they were treading on uneven ground that could give way at any moment. They’d never spoken of their lives much, because the truth of who they were and what they were doing wasn’t something either one had wanted to address.

Neamhni then remembered what Gray had told him the morning he’d asked for help, having explained that he was working for Shade. _“Now he wants me to do something I_ _’d_ _…rather not do._ _”_

At the time, Neamhni didn’t think he’d ever know what that was – but now he was sure that he knew. As much as he’d been trying to brush it off, he’d known that Gray had been acting strangely in the weeks leading up to this. He’d been tense and distant – and violent from the looks of his bruised skin – and something had most definitely been bothering him.

It all made sense, now. Shade’s demand had resulted in the ambush, and Gray had been furiously trying to put it off. Now that he was no longer surrounded by chaos, Neamhni could think back to the event itself, and how Gray had barely been able to look at him at all.

And as small and useless as it may be, Gray had apologised. Granted, not to his face because they’d been tied to a set of chairs sitting back to back, but it was something. Neamhni hadn’t known what he’d been expecting to hear when Gray had answered his question.

_“I_ _’m sorry for thinking I didn_ _’t have a choice._ _”_

Shade had even brought up a similar point, later on. _“He_ _’s always had a choice._ _It_ _’s just unfortunate enough for you that he_ _’s always chosen those mutts over some huntsman._ _”_

Now that everything had calmed down, Neamhni could try imaging himself in Gray’s position, and it wasn’t a very nice place to be. But that didn’t rid the thoughts from his head of just how angry he had been after the ambush. It didn’t get rid of River’s slowly healing injury, or the absolute humiliation he’d brought to his team, or the memory of when he’d been back in warehouse seventeen, his head pounding and pulse hammering, fear coursing through his veins for his team mate, and the cold rush of dread and betrayal closing up his windpipe. 


	31. Chapter 31

“What do you think of this?” Tarragon asked, sliding two photographs across the table towards Gray. He blinked down at them, took in the mangled bodies covered in blood and long past dead, and nodded.

“Definitely looks like Nihil’s work,” he affirmed, sitting back in his chair. “He doesn’t stray far from his usual, uh, ‘style.’ You’ll probably find that the body from the Schnee function would be maimed similarly.”

Tarragon nodded gratefully, withdrawing the images. “Is there anything else you can tell us about his behaviours that can identify his kills?”

Gray thought for a moment, “Well, the daggers he uses are different from the norm. If he does a straight stab there will probably be two punctures close together, one slightly smaller than the other.”

Tarragon’s eyebrows rose, “Like with Glas?” she asked.

Gray nodded, wishing that he would be allowed to take his painkillers sooner than he was supposed to. He’d been spending the days in the station sharing information and constantly reminding the huntsmen there of just how unprepared they were to catch someone like Nihil.

The ‘community service’ of sorts, was more like him serving the station as one who’s had an inside view of the Alliance and what its members were capable of. They’d explained to him that catching the other members of Sovereign would be a good start for him to repay them on the colossal mess he had caused.

He’d agreed to work with them, and didn’t care about the Alliance members, but only after a few days of this it was getting difficult when his shoulder and chest were aching. What he was glad of though, was that he could still have visitors when he was confined to his home – as long as they were gone by 9pm. So, after each day at the station, aching limbs and all, he’d come back and find the Hellhounds waiting for him, having done any grocery shopping or laundry or mundane household chores needed, and all he needed to do was collapse on the couch and enjoy their company.

It was certainly a change from what he was used to, but when he was finished all of his duties during the day, he didn’t have any complaints. Jasper would be explaining some amusing encounter he’d had during the day, Jenna would be laughing and throwing in inappropriate comments, the Tenebris brothers would be trying to throw some food together in the kitchen for them all to eat, and Nigel would be attempting to play something semi-musical on his bass.

Despite how things had changed, Gray was mostly content. Ultimately, he didn’t really mind so long as he was with the Hellhounds. Every day that he sat there though, enjoying their company and throwing in his own comments here and there, he couldn’t help but think that there was one more thing that he was missing.

-

Gray’s chest was still producing a dull ache when he sighed, and he pressed a hand against it for a moment, before focusing back on Tarragon again. Today they were focusing more on Viscera’s behavior, though she was much better at staying hidden and mysterious, so Gray wasn’t as much help as they had hoped. Not until they had any kind of fresh lead, that is.

Just as they were about to take a break, Gray looked up to see a figure had appeared at the door.

Tarragon looked surprised, “River,” she said, turning towards him in her chair. She narrowed her eyes slightly, “You’re not due back in yet.” It was like an accusation, as if she were saying _‘why aren’t you resting?’_

Gray looked him up and down – he appeared fine. He was moving around easily, had plenty of colour in his cheeks, and seemed lively enough. He probably wasn’t allowed to do anything overly strenuous, but Gray couldn’t think of anything that a huntsman would do that fell into that category other than paperwork.

River waved her off, “Don’t worry, I’m not working,” he said, even though it made his next request sound a little odd. “Can I have a moment?”

He nodded over at Gray, though he wasn’t asking the man himself. He was asking Tarragon, because Gray didn’t have free reign of what he did when. It was like he had a babysitter wherever he went, all his decisions being made for him. It was frustrating; albeit better than the situation he’d been in with Shade.

Tarragon glanced at Gray for a moment, before standing from her chair. “Sure, we’re done for the moment,” she said dismissively, waving a hand in Gray’s general direction as she passed River. Gray saw her mutter something as she passed her teammate, but he wasn’t close enough to hear. River’s expression was indifferent as his gaze turned to Gray – it appeared that Tarragon’s comment didn’t change that.

The last time Gray had seen River was back in warehouse seventeen, when those eyes had been narrowed on him in uncontained fury, right before they shot wide as Nihil drove his dagger into the man’s gut. And Gray had stood there and watched the whole thing without moving a muscle.

He had no idea what to expect now, and River’s expression wasn’t giving anything away. He casually walked into the room, letting the door click shut, before seating himself across from the faunus. Gray waited patiently, just hoping he wasn’t going to get decked in the face - or at least not in the shoulder.

“First of all, I just wanted to make one thing clear,” River began, sitting back in his seat. “I’m not here for work,” he stated, “Gum and Tarragon have that covered. I’ve heard about everything that’s happened, I’ve watched Shade’s interrogation, and I’ve read your statements, word for word. I know everything there is to know.”

Gray was nodding, his mind slowly catching up with River. “But there’s something else,” he guessed. “Something you can’t find in the stations records.”

River gave a curt nod and cut to the chase. “You explained that it was under Shade’s instructions that you contacted Neamhni and worked to gain his trust, leading up to the ambush. That everything you did was to keep your friends safe.”

Gray nodded.

River continued, “While I understand there’s a difference between sitting back and pretending you didn’t play a part in that ambush, and actually killing Neamhni with your bare hands…”

Gray didn’t like where this was going. He didn’t want to think about this.

“…There’s also a dramatic difference between saying no to killing someone and throwing yourself into life threatening danger for them.”

There it was. Tarragon had briefly brought this up, too. But rather than explaining why he had _saved_  Neamhni, Gray had instead explained why he had betrayed him. Tarragon had been satisfied with her answer, but as River had said, he wasn’t here for work.

He was here for Neamhni.

Gray had shifted in his seat, glancing to the corner of the room as River spoke again. “It’s only a simple question. Why?”

 _Simple, my ass,_ Gray thought bitterly. He hated being put on the spot like this. While he didn’t particularly want to share all the ins and outs of his thoughts, he knew that trying to avoid the question would do him no good. He sighed, ignoring the ache in his chest.

“Why do you think?”

River raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t going to play this game.

Gray lifted his good shoulder in a shrug, “I didn’t think,” he said in explanation, “I just moved.”

River’s expression didn’t change, or if anything it intensified.  _Why did you move?_

Gray rolled his eyes, “If you throw two people together for long enough, eventually they’re going to start caring at least somewhat.”

River took the sentence and threw another question back at him, “You think Neamhni cares about you?” he asked suddenly.

Gray was finding this to be harder than any of his ‘interrogations’ so far. He would have folded his arms had one of them not been in a sling. “I know he  _did_.” Memories from before the ambush flooded his mind. Neamhni bandaging up his arm, brushing a hand over his bruised cheek, calling him so he could avoid being arrested. Gray had been trying to pretend it wasn’t there, but looking back, it definitely was.

He could remember the shocked look on the man’s face when he had almost fallen through his bedroom window after the fight with Sabertooth. Neamhni had practically pushed him towards the bathroom to begin cleaning him up. It was also there when Gray had shown up covered in bruises, on the last night they had spent together. He’d looked so hurt when Gray had pulled away from him.

His thoughts would have naturally moved onto what had happened after that, but he quickly brought them to a halt, noting how it was  _definitely_ inappropriate to be thinking about right now.

It would be wishful thinking to assume that Neamhni would have many…positive thoughts about him now. One act of heroism wasn’t going to take away everything that happened previously, Gray knew that. He knew that very well.

River was still sitting back in his seat, “And you?” he asked. His eyes began to give him away, though it was probably intentional. Gray could see it easily:  _what are your thoughts, your intentions?_

He did his one armed shrug again, “My thoughts haven’t changed - it’s just my situation that has.” Gray leant forwards in his seat, a quick sigh passing his lips, “Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I fucked up. I knew that from the moment Shade told me to call him. I was going to ruin one life or another,” Gray paused then, as if hesitating. He glanced to the side, “I just wish it wasn’t his.”  


	32. Chapter 32

Gray let out a sigh as he flipped through the channels on his TV, having already figured out that nothing good was on. It was a Saturday, he had no business at the station, and none that would allow him to leave his home. All of the Hellhounds were busy, also – god forbid they have their own lives outside of entertaining their injured leader. So, Gray was stuck here, flipping through channels – the TV remote balanced awkwardly in his left hand – and bored out of his mind.

He had known there would be consequences for his actions, and he was grateful for the leniency that he had been given, but it was still a small version of a nightmare. Despite being free from Shade’s threats and demands, he had gone from being able to come and go as he pleased – and pick fights wherever he liked – to now being stuck here, only leaving when absolutely necessary or to go to the station and have his brain picked.

He knew that it was probably good for him that he couldn’t go out and give in to his reckless nature – especially while he was injured – but he couldn’t deny the urge was there. Whenever he hadn’t wanted to face something, or needing something off of his mind, a good knock of fists would always bring temporary relief.

Now he had nothing but his mind, and it was starting to bother him. All he could do was sit here while the same damn thoughts circled in his head, most of which concerned the same hare faunus that had gotten him into this mess by showing up at Lola’s all those months ago.

Gray was startled from his channel surfing by a swift knock at the door. He turned his head, but didn’t stand up straight away. Who on earth would that be? He knew he had no duties today, none of the Hellhounds were free, and his parole warden didn’t need to check up on him personally – that was sorted by an automated phone call every hour or so.

Still, Gray got to his feel, and curiously padded over to the door. A thought struck the back of his mind that it could be Nihil coming back to slit his throat, but if he really wanted to do that, he wouldn’t knock on Gray’s door. He’d be in and out in the dark of the night without even letting him scream.

With that unsettling though fresh in his mind, Gray pulled the door open.

And froze.

He was much more casually dressed than usual – no maroon button up or black tie, just a pair of ripped jeans and a black t-shirt with some writing on it that Gray paid no attention to. He didn’t even have Umbra Bolt with him, all evidence of him being a huntsman - always ready for anything, as they were – nowhere to be seen.

If Gray had lost all memory of what had happened in the basement of Shade’s hideout, he would have no clue that the man had been injured at all. Despite still having those memories too, he was glad that the image of when he’d last seen the man (unconscious, bloody and on his way to dying) was replaced with seeing him now; standing on his own two feet at Gray’s door, alive and well.

And somehow he had _chosen_ to come here.

Gray took all of this in, in the space of only a few moments. His voice betrayed his surprise, as well as his expression. “Neamhni.”

The man in question had been caught with his hand raised, as if about to knock again. He dropped it to his side, looking a little uncertain, but pleased. “Hey.”

Gray hadn’t known what to say, so he just waited for Neamhni to speak again. He must have had a reason for coming here other than saying ‘hey’. He watched as the man glanced to the side, before asking, “Can I come in?”

There was silence for a heartbeat, before Gray nodded, and stepped aside. “Well, I certainly can’t come out,” he murmured. Once Neamhni had walked in, Gray closed the door, before turning to look at him. The hare faunus was absent mindedly gazing around the apartment, as if he had never seen it before, despite having been here many times. He let out a sigh, hands in pockets, and looked over his shoulder at Gray.

“If I’m going to be honest,” he began, “I don’t know whether I want to thank you or punch you.”

 _Well, at least he_ _’s being honest,_ Gray thought to himself. He lifted his hand to fiddle with his sling, “That’s…understandable.”

Neamhni turned around to face him fully, then. “Actually, that’s a lie,” he stated, “I want to do both.”

Gray decided that if Neamhni were being honest, so could he. He lifted his left shoulder in a shrug, “I wouldn’t stop you.”

The smallest smile began to tug at the edge of Neamhni’s lips, “I know you wouldn’t.” He pulled his hands out of his pockets as he continued, “Despite all of that though, you still saved my life,” he said, nodding towards Gray’s shoulder. “So, thank you.”

Gray didn’t feel like he deserved it, so he simply nodded, casting his gaze elsewhere.

Noticing the behavior, Neamhni decided a change of topic was in order, “How _is_ your shoulder?” he asked, an easy segue.

Looking down at the sling, Gray hummed in thought. “It’s alright,” he said. “Doing things left handed is proving to be a challenge.”

Neamhni smiled, then. It was a small, amused smile, and it felt like it had been far too long since Gray had seen it. He wanted to keep it there. “I can also see why you were so easily driven mad when your ribs were broken,” he added. “It’s unbelievably boring being stuck at home.”

Neamhni nodded, and thankfully the smile stayed there. “It is,” he agreed. “It definitely is.”

-

As the atmosphere between them had settled and become more comfortable, Gray and Neamhni found themselves on the couch, finally having the time to share various thoughts and truths about all the events that had played out in the last few months.

“To be honest, I’m surprised you haven’t punched me,” Gray mused. Neamhni had every right to be mad at him, and half of him had expected the huntsman to cut all contact with him completely. The fact that neither had happened was a surprise, and a welcome one at that.  

Neamhni let out a breath of a laugh, before casting his gaze absently to the floor. “I don’t want to punch you,” he said, correcting himself from earlier.

“Are you angry at me, though?” Gray asked, turning his head in the man’s direction.

Neamhni considered the question for a moment. He could still feel the anger there, but it was more a memory of how he had felt weeks ago. He wasn’t angry right now, but he could remember being livid, how infuriated he had been with Gray after the ambush. “I was,” he replied. “I was _so_ angry. I almost choked you to death.”

Gray’s mind flicked back to the night they had run into each other, how Neamhni had slammed him against the wall, his hand at the base of his throat, voicing just how much he wanted to kill him. Gray had told him to do it. “Only almost,” he responded.

Of course, Neamhni couldn’t do it. He’d already figured out earlier on that if his team ordered him to kill Gray, he wouldn’t be able to do it, but not even when his blood was boiling with hatred and betrayal and fury could he follow through. Because it was Gray.

Not only that, but if Neamhni had actually killed him there, he doubted he would be alive now. Despite the mess that Gray had caused, if it weren’t for him and the Hellhounds, Shade would have finished him easily.

“How are the Hellhounds?” he asked, barely remembering what else had been going on while they tried to get out of the basement. “Were any of them injured?”

Gray shook his head, “They’re all fine, nothing more than a few bruises.” Despite it being only a simple question, Gray couldn’t help but be very pleased about it, appreciating Neamhni’s concern.

They continued to chat, as subjects came and went, and any evidence of tension between them dissipated. Gray understood all that he had done and the repercussions of it, and Neamhni understood why Gray did what he had. It was a start, and didn’t by any means sweep anything under the rug, but they were content with that for now.

Gray looked up when the phone started ringing, right on time. He excused himself as he stood up, as he did every couple of hours, and answered to the robot voice on the other end. When he hung up, Neamhni stood from the couch and wandered over, as Gray grabbed a cigarette and nodded to the balcony.

When they stepped outside, the breeze was blowing the trees and lifting Gray’s fringe from his face. It was refreshing, but the minute he tried to light his cigarette the wind blew the flame right out. If he had two hands he would have been able to manage, but it was just another small annoyance that came with having an injured shoulder.

Before he could even groan in complaint, Neamhni had stepped up beside him with his own lighter, shielding the wind as he lit Gray’s cigarette. It gave him an odd sense of de ja vu, reminding him of when he’d done the same for Neamhni all those months ago, when he found the man sitting at a café after their first night out.

He appreciated the gesture, and a small smile tugged at the edge of his lips, “Thanks.” Neamhni nodded and settled against the railing beside him.

“You know,” Neamhni said after he’d lit up his own, “Considering how boring it can be when you’re stuck at home…” He’d been looking out at their small view, but he turned to look at Gray, then. “Would you be opposed to having some company on your off days?”

Grays eyebrows lifted, as he glanced over at Neamhni in surprise. His expression then softened, “I’d like that.”


	33. Chapter 33

“I told you, the Alliance doesn’t exist anymore,” Gray placed his left hand down on the table, frustrated with having to repeat himself. “Shade was the one pulling the strings, so now that he’s gone, neither Nihil nor Viscera are going to continue with what he wanted.”

Gum was giving him a measured look, “Are you really sure?” she asked.

Gray threw his hand up, “Of course I’m sure, all Nihil wants to do is spread blood wherever he can, and Viscera has her own agenda. They were only working for Shade because he offered power and protection. They wouldn’t give a rat’s ass that he’s gone otherwise.”

Letting out a sigh, Gum sat back in her seat, folding her arms, “Alright, so we can’t expect them to be predictable in that sense?”

Gray shook his head, “Unfortunately not.”

There was a quick knock at the door. Gum turned her head, “Come in.”

When it swung open, Gray had been trying to reposition his sling because it was becoming uncomfortable, but he caught sight of the hare ears from his peripheral vision and instantly looked up. Neamhni was standing in the doorway, looking at him in surprise, when really Gray felt like it should be the other way around. _Isn_ _’t he suspended?_

After they shared surprised glances, Neamhni turned to Gum, “Uh, River said you wanted to see me,” he explained.

Gum had seemed surprised to see him, too. She sighed and placed a hand over her eyes for a moment, “Why did I use _him_ as a messenger,” she muttered, before looking back up at him. “I meant for him to let you know that I would come visit you, not for you to come all the way here.”

Neamhni let out a large sigh, “Gum, walking isn’t strenuous, I’m fine coming here.” He wasn’t going to mention that he was still quite sore, otherwise none of them would let him leave the house again.

Gray, on the other hand, who’d gotten his stitches taken out a few days ago, had a pretty good idea that Neamhni was still in fact, sore. He kept the thought to himself though as he glanced up at the man through his fringe.

Gum looked across the table to Gray, before turning back to Neamhni, and then shrugging. “Alright Buralo, go next door and grab some water or something while I talk to Neamhni,” she said, dismissing him.

Gray nodded and stood from his seat, and as he approached the door, Neamhni stepped aside to let him through. They only shared a quick glance, but friendly expressions turned into surprised ones when Gray stumbled straight into him. He’d flung out his good arm in a panic and grabbed onto Neamhni’s shoulder, and the Huntsman had instinctively caught him by the elbow, his other hand hovering by Gray’s waist awkwardly. 

As Gray quickly righted himself and muttered his thanks, Neamhni looked elsewhere, but still managed to see how red the tops of his ears were. He was gone in the next second, and when the door was swinging shut again, Neamhni already knew that Gum wanted to laugh at him.

She managed to hold it in, but still let out a quick snort, “Gosh Leveret, could you be any more obvious?”

That was not what he had expected, “Excuse me?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

She was shaking her head, “You’re just so…never mind.” She waved a dismissive hand at him, “I suppose I’m used to you only being interested in work.”

Neamhni didn’t _have_ any work at the moment. “And I can’t be interested in other things?” he asked, his voice going up in pitch just slightly. He then realized the implications of what he had said and quickly moved to correct himself, “Not that I’m-”

Gum was cutting him off the minute he had continued, “Don’t even try, I _know_ you’re interested in him.” Not that she could really blame him, she thought, especially after all the time they had spent together before shit hit the fan.

Neamhni struggled to find a retort, “I-”

Gum raised her hand, “Forget it, I didn’t call you here just to talk about your train wreck of a love life,” she commented. Her choice of words almost made Neamhni blush – could it even be considered that? They’d only been fooling around, and that didn’t even start to dive into the circumstances-

“I was supposed to tell you that the higher ups are considering changing the terms of your suspension,” she continued, cutting his thoughts short. “Cause it seems pretty silly at this point.”

Neamhni nodded, not sounding happy about his suspension at all. “Yeah, I’m currently in here on a visitor’s pass,” he answered flatly.  

-

When Neamhni walked out, Gum called out to him to get Gray to come back in again, so he walked straight into the adjacent room and found the man sitting with a sour look on his face.

Neamhni leant against the doorframe, folding his arms, “So, do you want to tell me what that was?” he asked. He wasn’t used to people randomly stumbling into him, especially not attractive gang leaders that he had way too much history with.

Gray’s head snapped up, apparently having not noticed he had company. His gaze met the huntsman’s for only a moment, before he glanced back down at the plastic cup he held. “I, uh…”

 _My gosh, is Gray Buralo embarrassed?_ The amusing thought hit Neamhni, and he tried not to smile.

Gray looked down at his boots, as if he were glaring at them when he admitted the reason for his stumble. “I can’t…do up my shoelaces,” he muttered, lifting up his foot for good measure.

Neamhni raised his eyebrows as he looked down at Gray’s shoe, seeing the laces hanging as he lifted his foot up. _Oh._ So he had tripped on them. He held back an amused chuckle as Gray slid his feet back under the chair _._ Once he’d gotten over the amusement, he realized what Gray had meant, as his arm was still in a sling. You can’t tie your shoes with one hand.

He stood up straight and walked into the room, “May I?” he asked. He could tell that Gray really disliked the situation; probably hating having to admit that he couldn’t do something for himself. After a moment’s hesitation though, he brought his foot out from under the chair silently, glancing in the other direction.

 _I_ _’ll take that as a yes, then, N_ eamhni thought as he stepped forwards and knelt to tie the man’s shoe. He couldn’t help the smile of amusement that he aimed at the ground - he certainly hadn’t expected to be tying Gray’s boot for him when he showed up at the station today. When he was finished, he looked back up at him, “So how did you manage to tie your shoes this morning with your injured shoulder?” he asked curiously.

Gray finally looked down at him, “I didn’t. They’re always tied loose so I can pull them on and off,” he explained. Neamhni nodded in understanding as he stood again.

“Right,” he said. There was a moment’s pause, before he realised he had to pass on a message. “Uh, Gum said you could go back in, now.” 

Gray finally got rid of his sour look, as he glanced up at Neamhni. “Right,” he said also, getting to his feet. He was half way through his next sentence when he realised how silly he sounded. “Thanks for…tying my shoe,” he muttered.

Neamhni let out a short breath of a laugh, “You’re welcome.”


	34. Chapter 34

Gray snatched up the last slice of pizza, shooting Jasper an unapologetic look as the boy glared at him, having been reaching for it himself. When those gold eyes didn’t let up, he stopped mid-chew to throw a sentence at him.

“I’m injured, I can do what I want,” he said with a smirk.

Jenna threw the last of her crust back into the empty box, “You do what you want anyway,” she commented. Gray reasonably agreed with her, and just before he finished the piece, he saw how Jasper had started pouting. That look had a lot of power when coming from Jasper, which caused him to think, _don_ _’t do that you little shit._

Eventually, he rolled his eyes, “Oh, alright,” he gave in, handing the last of his slice over. Honestly, could anyone manage to be cruel to the kid when he could pull that face off?

Now grinning, Jasper snatched the last of the pizza off of him and finished it gratefully. Teres chuckled beside him. “That’s a mighty power you have,” he commented, “Don’t abuse it.”

“Screw that,” Jasper said, chewing on the last of his pizza, “I’m gonna abuse the heck out of it.”

While Jenna grinned and gave him a high-five, Unum walked back into the room and changed the topic of conversation, “Hey Gray, have you even seen Neamhni since…?” he hadn’t been sure what to call it – the mess of events that put them both in hospital? – But he didn’t need to, for Gray had been nodding half way through the sentence.

“I have, actually,” he said, before laughing to himself at their last encounter. He mentioned how Neamhni had showed up at his apartment last week, before moving onto what had happened just a couple of days ago. He was playing with his fringe when he mentioned his less proud moment. “…I had to ask him to tie my shoe so I wouldn’t trip again,” he concluded, sounding grumpy at the fact.

Jenna had placed a hand over her mouth to try and silence her giggles while her and Jasper grinned at each other, and the Tenebris brothers all looked very amused. Nigel felt like the only mature one in the room.

It was Duos who spoke first, “Well I’m not surprised,” he said, causing Gray’s head to turn in his direction, “Your shoulder was wrecked, you can’t do everything one handed.”

Unless he hadn’t made it obvious already, Gray was extremely annoyed at not being able to do everything himself – it was part of the reason the Helhounds had been hanging around so often. He picked up one of the beer bottles that Unum had placed on the coffee table, “I can sure as hell try,” he said defiantly. It took him only a moment to realise his predicament with the bottle – every single way he knew how to open it involved both hands- but thanks to the sentence he had _just said,_ he decided to just hold onto it for the sake of his pride.

Unum raised an eyebrow, “Need some help, there?” he asked.

Gray narrowed his eyes at him, while everyone else tried _very hard_ not to show their amusement. It was Gray who broke first, as he all but slammed the bottle back down onto the table, “I fucking hate all of you.”

Jenna burst out into a laugh while Unum just chuckled as he reached out to open it for him. Just before he had popped the lid off, Gray heard a knock at the door. Eager to take the conversation away from his temporary disability, he jumped up to answer it. Probably one of the neighbors telling them to shut up or something, though it really wasn’t all that late-

When he opened the door, his eyebrows shot up, though he wasn’t quite as surprised as last time, “Neamhni.”

Standing on his doorstep, the huntsman had a six-pack of beer in his hand, and he spotted the Hellhounds just behind Gray. He looked somewhat regrettable, then. “Sorry, I probably should have messaged you first, huh. Is now a bad time?” he asked, a foot already stepping back to retreat.

Gray was already smiling, as he stepped aside, “Nah, now’s a perfect time, come on in.” Neamhni walked in past him and placed the beer on the coffee table, as the Hellhounds greeted him. He wasn’t quite sure how to act, as before the day he’d gotten stabbed, the last time he’d seen any of them was when the Tenebris brothers had jumped on him back at warehouse seventeen. But even though it had been crazy and hectic, he had seen them in the basement, and they’d saved both him and Gray that day.

He’d barely noticed that Gray hadn’t followed him over and instead had ducked into the kitchen, as the red headed boy shot up in his seat, “Did you really get stabbed?” he asked.

Surprised by the kid’s enthusiasm, Neamhni had raised his eyebrows, “Uh, yeah, I did.”

Barely a heartbeat later, he had asked another question, “Can I see?” he asked with excitement.

Jenna turned to scold him, “ _Jasper_.”

“What?” he asked innocently, turning to look at her, “Gray won’t show me his!”

The girl had only had the willpower to roll her eyes, while Neamhni chuckled and lifted his shirt slightly to show the edge of the bandages, “There isn’t much to see, kid.”

As the boy let out a disappointed sound - which could only be described as a whine - Neamhni saw Gray walk back out from the kitchen, a cigarette between his lips and a lighter in his hand, nodding towards the balcony. _Perfect timing,_ Neamhni thought, as he stood up to follow.

As soon as Gray was out of earshot, Nigel sat back in his chair and muttered, “One day I’m going to hide that box.”

Jenna almost snorted, “He’s only going to buy a new one,” she said. Having been a smoker herself up until a couple of years ago, she was also familiar with the itch to pick up a cigarette, and someone hiding the box would not have stopped her in the slightest. “You’d have to try a little harder than that,” she concluded. Nigel just let out a disproving huff.

Out on the balcony, Gray had managed to light his cigarette on his own this time, the night being a still one – _thank goodness for that._ As Neamhni stepped up beside him, lighting his own, he was thinking about how he’d never before seen the boy who’d enquired about his wound. He blew out a puff of smoke, “The red-headed kid is…Ja-?”

“Jasper, yeah,” Gray cut in for him, leaning back against the railing, “He’s the youngest, so we tend to try and keep him away from our more serious…altercations.” That was a pretty logical explanation as to why Neamhni had never seen him. He’d recognised the girl, too, from a few instances before, but couldn’t quite remember her name.

“Let me guess,” Gray spoke up again, “He asked to see your stomach.” He nodded towards where Neamhni’s bandages would be under his shirt, and the man in question looked down also, letting out a short laugh.

“Yeah, he did.”

Gray was shaking his head, that familiar smug look on his face, “The way he jumped on me about it, I almost offered to give him his own.”

Neamhni’s eyebrows shot up, and Gray waved his good arm at him, “I’m kidding.” There was a short pause, before Gray’s eyes wandered towards the door, where he could just see the Hellhounds in the living room, chatting and laughing together. Neamhni could see the fondness in his eyes. “He’s a good kid.” 

Neamhni’s gaze followed Gray’s, and he was reminded of how the man had mentioned once that they were like a family. Honestly, it wasn’t hard to see at all. He decided he might as well ask, “What about the girl?”

Gray glanced at him only a moment, “Jenna?” he almost laughed to himself as he shook his head, “She’s got a mouth on her. Don’t piss her off unless you want to learn the full extent of her vocabulary,” he joked. “Not to mention she has almost a complete disregard for authority, which drives Nigel nuts.”

Neamhni let out an amused huff, “Why’s that?”

Gray nodded in towards them, “He used to be part of the Atlas military,” he explained. Neamhni nodded in understanding, as he looked in, also. They all had their unique quirks, and abilities, and even after spending so much time with Gray, he knew next to nothing about them. Maybe he should fix that, now that the chaos was over.

“They seem like a good bunch,” he commented.

Gray nodded, smiling ever so slightly, before turning back around to face the small view, “They are.”

A moment of comfortable silence passed, as smoke floated up into the air, before Neamhni spoke again. “How’s your shoulder holding up?” he asked.

Gray glanced down at the sling, “Getting there. I can’t wait to get this damn thing off, though.”

Neamhni could barely help himself, “No more trips?” he asked with a teasing smile.

Gray was instantly turning away from him, a hand reaching up to cover his eyes, “Please don’t,” he said, obviously embarrassed. Neamhni had started chuckling softly.

“If it helps,” he said, a grin on his face now as he leant forwards on the railing, “I’m happy to tie your shoes whenever you need.”

That didn’t seem to help at all. “Oh my god,” Gray muttered, before turning, cigarette between his lips as he shoved at Neamhni’s shoulder with his good arm. The man was laughing now as Gray flicked his cigarette into the ashtray and walked back inside, throwing, “You are the worst,” over his shoulder. 

Neamhni had watched him disappear into another part of the apartment, before he finished off his own cigarette and walked back in to join the Hellhounds in the living room.

“I think I pissed him off,” he joked as he sat down.

Jenna had just seen Gray shove him out on the balcony, before storming inside. She grinned and pointed at him, “I like you.” Neamhni just responded with a laugh, and as the atmosphere settled, he decided now was a better time than ever to thank them.

“I didn’t get a chance to before cause, well,” he gestured vaguely at where he’d been stabbed. “But I really ought to thank all of you for getting us out of there,” he said, looking between them. He didn’t need to specify what he was talking about - it was obvious. He’d remembered hearing the bang of Shade’s gun, but only feeling the bullet graze his arm, as Jenna’s chain had thrown it off course at the last minute. He remembered Nigel throwing Umbra Bolt over to him, having found it elsewhere in the building, and he remembered Unum and Teres helping to subdue Nihil right before Neamhni had shocked him. They’d been invaluable in that fight, even when Neamhni had been stabbed – there’s no way Gray would have been able to carry him out with the state his shoulder had been in.

Instead of listing everything off though, he decided to keep it simple. “I doubt I would be alive right now if you guys hadn’t have shown up, so – thank you.”

The Tenebris brothers had shared a look for just a moment, before Unum leant forwards in his seat, “Don’t take it personally, but while we appreciate your gratitude – we didn’t do it for you.”

It wasn’t what Neamhni had expected, but when he thought about it, it actually made a lot of sense. Besides, they barely knew him, would they really have done all of that for him? Not a chance.

He nodded, “You did it for Gray.” Of course they would have been searching high and low for him, it was just convenient for Neamhni that he’d been with the leader of the Hellhounds when they had found them. 

Teres was nodding, “He may have done a lot of shitty things while working for Shade,” he admitted, “But…he really cares about you.”

The words took a moment to sink in. Not just what he had said, but what that meant. They hadn’t just helped Neamhni as well because he was _there,_ but because of Gray. It wasn’t a sentence he thought he would hear any time soon, _he really cares about you._

Neamhni sat back in his seat, the Hellhounds watching him curiously. All the memories from just before the ambush were coming back to him again. Good memories. He also still remembered thinking to himself at warehouse seventeen, after finding out he’d been betrayed, that it had all seemed so real. Now though, the more and more that he heard, he was starting to realise that maybe it was.

After all, Gray had said it himself: _“Barely anything I said was a lie._ _”_


	35. Chapter 35

The very next night, Neamhni had found himself at Gray’s apartment again, only this time the Hellhounds were no longer present. When he’d shown up, they’d all been gathered around the TV, catching the news report about yet another mysterious stabbing – only it wasn’t so mysterious to Gray. It was at the station earlier that day, that he had been identifying it as Nihil’s doing, similar to the last few bodies that had been found.

“So I guess you’ve still got plenty to do at the station,” Neamhni had said to him upon seeing the report. He was still a couple of weeks away from being allowed to return to work - and River was currently pushing to be allowed back himself a week earlier – so Neamhni still wasn’t involved in whatever jobs they were currently handling.

Gray had been walking back into the living room, adjusting his sling with his left hand, “Oh yeah.” He’d quickly plopped himself down on the couch, in the space beside Teres that had been left for him. “Who’d have thought that Shade was holding him back?”

Neamhni had nodded, and kept his eyes on the TV as he reached for the last can of beer on the coffee table. Little had he known with his attention diverted, but Jasper had been about to snatch it up himself. It wasn’t until he was cracking it open that he saw golden eyes narrowed on him.

Blinking, Neamhni stared back at Jasper, “What?” The boy hadn’t needed to say anything before he’d realised, and in the next moment, Neamhni was in the firing line of the most adorable sight he had ever seen.

Gray had glanced up the minute that Jenna had slapped a hand over her eyes and muttered, “Ugh, not this again.”

Not really knowing what to do with Jasper pouting at him like that, Neamhni had quickly glanced at Gray as if to say _what do I do?!_

Gray rolled his eyes, “Jasper, stop being a little shit,” he said, “There’s more in the fridge.”

Before the second half of Gray’s sentence had registered in his ears, Jasper had been shooting a retort back at him, “ _You_ _’re_ a little shit!”

A single dark eyebrow rose. Jasper stared at Gray, before glancing to the girl beside him. She now had a hand over her mouth as she tried not to laugh.

Gray didn’t need to stand up to show how hilarious silly the ‘little’ part of that statement had been. “Do you know who you’re talking to, kid?” he said. That’s when Jenna started to chuckle.

Unum had just been walking into the room then, and having overhead the exchange, he came up behind Jasper and slapped a hand on his shoulder, “Nice try, Jas.” The boy sunk down in his seat.

It wasn’t long after that that the Hellhounds had all filtered out, claiming to have various errands and things to do. While it had seemed a little suspicious to Gray, he had eventually shrugged it off, and soon he and Neamhni had found themselves wandering out to the small balcony again. Neamhni had been leaning forwards on the railing; watching the trees out at the back of the block swaying, idle chatter passing between them.

As a thought that certainly wasn’t new to him came to mind, he turned his head to look up at Gray. “Tell me what happened,” he said, wildly changing their conversation topic.

Gray had glanced down at him sideways, his eyebrows lifting, “Hm?”

Neamhni realised he may have to elaborate. “Back when I passed out,” he said, before standing up straight again, and turning to face him fully. “I’ve read the statements, but…” he glanced out at the trees for a moment as a breeze blew his fringe off of his face. “I want to hear it from you.”

Gray seemed surprised at the request. His lips were parted slightly, as he turned his head to look at their limited view. He could remember the way his pulse had been hammering, his head pounding, and his shoulder throbbing. He could remember his chest burning, his muscles aching, and his throat closing up with fear. It was one of the most unpleasant memories he had now, right beside the moment back at warehouse seventeen when Neamhni had been dragged into the room.

Seeing Gray’s hesitance, Neamhni tried to start for him. He thought back to what he had read on the files. “Nihil kicked you, didn’t he?” he asked. Gray nodded, remembering the moment when shock had turned into panic. Neamhni began to raise his hand, slowly reaching for Gray’s chest, “Does it still hurt?”

Gray caught him by the wrist, and Neamhni’s eyes flicked back to his. It wasn’t a look of warning he was being given, but rather a contemplative one. His answer didn’t quite seem to make sense to Neamhni’s ears, “Only a little.”

That wasn’t the reason that Gray had stopped him, but he wasn’t going to voice why exactly he had, either.

Instead of addressing that, Neamhni asked another question. “What happened then?”

Gray let go of his wrist as he shook his head, turning to place his left hand on the railing, “You _know_ what happened. He pulled out a fucking dagger and aimed it at your throat,” it wasn’t spoken softly, but forcefully - as he gripped the railing, his eyes narrowing on the scars covering his own knuckles. He turned his head to look back at Neamhni, then. “Why are you asking me to tell you this?”

Neamhni glanced to the side, a hand reaching to rub at his neck, “I wanted to hear your version of it.”

Silence settled between them for a moment, as the breeze lifted loose clothing and strands of hair. It was Gray who decided to speak first, after a short sigh had passed his lips.

“To be honest, I don’t remember a lot after that.” He was shaking his head, eyes still downcast. “I didn’t really think, I just…moved.”  He didn’t even know how. One minute he’d been staring wide eyed at the dagger in Nihil’s hand, and the next he could feel an agonizing pain as it sunk into his shoulder. “I couldn’t…” he didn’t know how to word it. After everything that had happened - the intimacy, the betrayal, his desperate attempts to try and fix everything without having any losses – it would have been too much. The words bubbled up from his gut, simple yet complex in their meaning; _I couldn_ _’t just let him kill you._

He rephrased it before it passed his lips, “I couldn’t just sit there.”

Neamhni was watching him, slowly nodding. “And you know how grateful I am for that,” he murmured. “Right?”

Gray glanced over at him then - silver eyes meeting darker ones. Neamhni was watching him carefully, his gaze soft and patient, as if he didn’t even remember being betrayed. Gray wanted to scoff at it.

He settled with forcing some air past his lips in the form of a short sigh, “I suppose.”

The silence between them had been somewhat uncomfortable then, with Gray not completely accepting Neamhni’s gratitude. It wasn’t that he was trying to be a dick about it, but honestly, why should the man be thanking him when he was the reason Neamhni had gone through hell in those few weeks? To him, it sounded like, ‘thanks for being a decent human being for once’ – nobody says that, it’s not needed.

It wasn’t like Gray had made a choice, like he would have done anything else in that moment. It was just like he said, he hadn’t thought about it – he’d just moved. Even if there was a choice, he had made it days ago when he’d decided he was going to fix things. What he did for Neamhni was just bundled into that.

His thoughts were running in unpleasant circles, so he was grateful when Neamhni decided to speak up, changing to a lighter topic.

He was leaning forwards on the railing again. “Do you remember,” he began, looking out at the trees, “The night that we were playing pool at the pub, when I hit the white ball off of the table and it knocked over Unum’s drink?”

A small, amused smile found its way to Gray’s face, then. Unum had not been pleased at all, especially since half of it had ended up on his shirt. “Yeah,” he murmured in response, hand idly tapping against the railing, “I think you set a new record for how many times you can sink the white in one night, actually.”

Neamhni’s eyebrows rose as he turned to look at Gray. “I wasn’t _that_ bad,” he said, sounding somewhat offended.

Gray didn’t hesitate, “Oh, you were,” he insisted. “Though you were pretty smashed by that point.”

Neamhni turned back to look at the trees, “True,” he agreed. “I don’t think I actually remember much more after that.” To be honest, he did have a _lot_ to drink that night. He did recall some sort of challenge with Duos from earlier on, something to do with whom could hold their liquor better? He couldn’t remember.

Gray had jumped in easily with his reply, “Oh, I can tell you what happened after that.” It sounded cheeky, and he didn’t need to elaborate for Neamhni to know what he meant. Just the memory of waking up in Gray’s bed the next morning and spotting the hickey’s he’d left on the wolf faunus’ chest was enough of a hint.

When Neamhni didn’t reply, Gray began to think that perhaps it wasn’t the best thing to say. Well, it wasn’t like they could pretend that that never happened-

His thoughts cut short with a surprisingly soft murmur. Neamhni was still leaning forwards on the railing, gaze forward, looking thoughtful. “I liked what we had,” he said, before glancing to the side, towards Gray. “Whatever it was.”

A small smile had made its way onto his face before Gray could think to stop it. Not that he wanted to. “Whatever it was…” he repeated. He didn’t think anyone would be able to put a name to it, so he didn’t bother trying. Instead, he chewed on the inside of his lip, looking forwards, also. “I liked it, too,” he murmured in response.

Neamhni just nodded, a small smile on his face.

Gray then turned to Neamhni with a playful spark in his eyes, “Except for that damn clock of yours that never stops ticking.”

Neamhni didn’t miss a beat, “Oh, I could never hear it over your constant snoring,” he shot back, grinning sideways at him.

Gray turned his whole body towards the hare faunus then, raising his arm to point at Neamhni in outrage. “Yeah, well you steal all the blankets.”

Neamhni turned to face him, also, “Maybe I needed them more than you did,” he responded, placing a hand on his hip.

Gray took a step towards him, glancing at Neamhni’s new body language, “Don’t sass me,” he warned.

Neamhni took a step forwards, also. “Or what?”

Since they practically stood at the same height, neither one could try to look down on the other. They just met each other’s gaze, challenging yet playful, waiting for the other to do or say something. Technically, the ball was in Gray’s court, with Neamhni’s question still hanging in the air, but he had no intention of answering it. He just held his gaze, right up until the moment when silver eyes dropped ever so slightly.

Neamhni had noticed it, and even though those eyes had quickly moved back to his again, he hadn’t missed where they’d been looking. It was a cue that he had picked up months ago, back before he’d even been revealed as a Huntsman. So many times when he’d been playing the game of keeping his distance while still ensuring Gray’s interest in him, had he caught the man glancing down at his lips.

At this point he wasn’t sure who had stepped forwards, but he _was_ sure that the space between them had decreased even more. His own gaze dropped just slightly for a moment then, as well. _Shit._ He’d done it too, now.

Neither of them were saying anything, so it appeared that Neamhni was the one who was going to break the silence. “Gray…?” he murmured, watching how the soft breeze lifted the man’s fringe for a moment.

There was no response, nor was there a need for Neamhni to repeat his vague question, for in the next moment, there was movement, and all thoughts were scattered.

The minute he’d realized what was happening, Gray had exhaled, and they were so close that Neamhni felt the hot breath against his skin, right before they closed the gap. They could both feel the tension drain out of the air the minute that they kissed, but the moment felt new, different. They’d kissed numerous times before – sloppy, drunk kisses and hot, hungry kisses – including the very night that they had met, but none of them could quite be comparable.

Despite all of the experience they’d had being intimate with each other, this was soft and slow, and careful. With everything that had happened, it felt like returning to a minefield that had once blown up in their faces, hoping like hell that it was all over – that they could cross as they had tried to the first time, and come out at the other side unharmed.

It only lasted a few moments, and when Neamhni opened his eyes again, having only just pulled back far enough to look at him, he breathed a short sentence. “You taste like cigarettes.”

Gray quirked an eyebrow, murmuring a response, “Is that a bad thing?”

What a silly question. “Not at all.” Already leaning in again, Neamhni only just finished his sentence before they kissed again, and his hand found rest at the back of Gray’s neck, inching into dark hair. Once again frustrated with the sling he wore, Gray could only reach out with his left hand to grasp the side of Neamhni’s shirt, pushing forwards to deepen the kiss. It was like a challenge; _keep up with me._

Neamhni didn’t hesitate to do so, as their caution from before disappeared, familiarity returning to them. They were no longer trying to inch their way across the old minefield; they were crossing it in long strides, the threat long gone with nothing but the ache in Gray’s shoulder to remind him of what had occured.

The minute they’d broken apart for air, they’d only come back together again, and Neamhni’s other hand was grasping at Gray’s hip. Careful not to nudge his injured arm, he pulled the man forwards, and Gray simply responded by wrapping his arm around Neamhni’s lower back. He’d all but forgotten about the time right up until his pocket had started buzzing.

Neamhni almost jumped when a loud alarm sounded from Gray’s scroll, and as they hastily pulled back, he watched Gray fumble it out of his pocket to turn it off.

When the air around them was silent again, Neamhni let out a heavy breath, “What the hell?”

Gray was still looking down at his scroll. “Time’s up,” he murmured.

Eyebrows lifting, Neamhni glanced inside in confusion, only to see from the clock on the wall that it had just hit nine o’clock. _Oh._ He reluctantly turned back to Gray, “I need to go.”

Gray finally lifted his gaze to dark eyes, “I know.”

Neamhni bit the inside of his lip, “We still have a lot to talk about.”

Silver eyes stayed on him, unwavering, “I know.”

He figured that was his cue to leave, but just before he turned, Neamhni changed his mind and stepped towards Gray again. The man had only had enough time to quirk an eyebrow before he was pulled forwards again for one last quick kiss.

He’d had no complaints on that matter, and when Neamhni let him go, the hare faunus looked very pleased with himself. He’d nodded at Gray, as if making it final, before turning and sliding hands into pockets as he slowly walked back inside.

A single parting sentence was thrown over his shoulder, “Goodnight, Gray.”

Still standing out on the balcony, the wolf faunus had watched him leave, and it was only as the front door was swinging shut that he’d replied. “Night, Sunshine.” 


	36. Chapter 36

To put it simply, Gray was a little baffled. Even though he’d talked to Neamhni about what had happened and explained all of his motives, everything still felt so surreal. He could still clearly remember how it felt to have the man’s hand pressed against the base of his throat, his air depleting second by second. He could still remember the look of absolute fury in his eyes. And that hadn’t even been the end of it – Neamhni had almost died back in the basement Shade had kept them in, and that was Gray’s fault, too.

 

But even after all of that, the entirety of the ambush that put River in hospital and the havoc that had come from Neamhni’s involvement with Gray, the man had still come back to him. He’d shown up at Gray’s apartment not long after getting out of hospital just to say thank you. He’d returned with a six-pack of beer just to give him company.

 

What had him most shocked though – Neamhni had even _kissed_ him. After all of that, all of the pain and frustration and fury that he must have experienced, he still kissed him. Gray hadn’t realized there’d been a small smile on his face as his mind ran over it, _what a silly hare,_ he thought, _returning to a wolf._

“Helloooo, Graaaay,” a voice cut into his thoughts, and the man blinked to see Jenna waving a hand in front of him. “Anyone in there?”

 

His gaze focused on her finally, “Sorry. What is it?”

 

Jasper then appeared by his side, carrying a basket full of clean clothes, “Wow, he really is off with the fairies today,” he commented to Jenna. The girl nodded, as if to say, _I told you so._

Gray took one look at the basket, and noticed they were all _his_ clothes. “When did you grab those?” he asked, giving the boy a pointed look.

 

Jasper looked down at the basket as he bounced it in his grasp, “Like, an hour ago?” He’d already run down to the Laundromat and washed them all, having just walked back in the front door.

 

Gray didn’t sound overly pleased about that, “What are you, a housewife now?”

 

Jasper didn’t miss a beat, “May as well be, I washed your dishes, too,” he said with a grin. Blinking, Gray turned around to look over towards the kitchen, where he could see them drying in the rack. It wasn’t a secret that Gray outwardly hated needing help with his arm, but really this was ridiculous.

 

Jenna stood up and pat Jasper on the head, “Go be a good housewife and put those away, Jas,” she said with a grin. He disappeared with only a slight grumble, and she then turned back to Gray.

 

“So, guessing from your wildly out of character daydreaming,” she began, plopping down on the couch beside him, “I’d assume that something happened last night.”

 

Gray gave her a sideward glance, “And guessing from your eagerness, you’re jumping to conclusions,” he shot back. “I’m just tired, you’re going to have to do better than that.”

 

Jenna grinned at him, “I don’t have to,” she said simply.

 

Raising a single eyebrow, Gray asked her, “And what is that supposed to mean?”

 

“It means,” Jenna began, turning to cross her legs on the couch, “That for someone with a pretty good poker face, you are surprisingly easy to read when it comes to Neamhni.”

 

-

 

“So, seems you’re here,” Neamhni began, placing the TV remote down on the coffee table, “I can assume they didn’t let you return to work early?”

 

River had just waltzed in the man’s front door, and he could only nod at Neamhni’s guess, “Unfortunately.”

 

Cracking a grin, Neamhni leant back on his couch, stretching his arms out above him. “I’m not surprised, considering you’re still not supposed to be doing any heavy lifting,” he commented.

_Look who_ _’s talking,_ River thought. “Stail Abhainn is _not_ heavy lifting,” he grumbled, walking over and dropping onto the couch beside his friend. “And while I’d love to whine about it, that’s not why I came here.” He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and dropped it on the coffee table. “The station needs your signature for your statement, seems you weren’t able to move much when you gave it.”

 

Neamhni’s eyebrows rose, “Gee, it took them that long to realise?” he asked, leaning forwards to pull out the papers.

 

River sat back on the couch with folded arms, “Are you really that surprised?”

 

There wasn’t much hesitation before Neamhni responded, “I suppose not.” He stood up to go find himself a pen, and River slung an arm over the back of the couch as he turned to talk to him.

 

“So, you’ve been visiting Buralo?” he asked.

 

Having just rounded the kitchen bench, Neamhni looked up in surprise, “What gave you that idea?”

 

River shrugged, a small grin on his face, “Just a hunch.”

 

A thought then crossed the faunus’ mind, “Don’t tell me this is because of-”

 

Already knowing what he was going to say, River’s grin widened considerably. “Oh don’t worry, Gum told me all about what happened at the station,” he said. “Sounded like it was straight from a rom-com.”

 

Neamhni made a distasteful sound as he lifted a hand to cover his eyes. “Ugh, thanks,” he said sarcastically, before swiping the pen off of the bench and returning to the couch.

 

“That aside,” River said as he sat down, “It was more of an educated guess. I just wasn’t sure if you were gonna do it to say thanks or to pummel him.”

 

That made Neamhni crack a smile, “I wasn’t sure either, at first.”

 

River gave him a knowing smile as Neamhni signed the papers, “But you didn’t pummel him,” he said, “Did you?”

 

Shaking his head, Neamhni folded up the papers again, “Quite the opposite, actually.”

 

-

 

Once River had been caught up with everything, he sat back in his seat, thinking over it all. Neamhni had his elbow propped up on the armrest, hands combing through his fringe. “Am I going to be in trouble?” he asked.

 

River thought for a moment, “Well, normally I would say your business is your business, but,” Neamhni knew there was a ‘ _but_ _’_ coming. “It does make it a little awkward considering he’s still in the station’s custody.”

 

Shrugging, Neamhni stood from the couch, thinking that a cup of coffee was in order. As he walked into the kitchen, he said over his shoulder, “Well, nobody really laid out any ground rules regarding that.”

 

River nodded, “And Gum and Tarragon would have been able to guess as easily as I did, so if they had any problems, you would have heard them by now.”

 

“That’s true,” Neamhni said, pulling a mug out of the cupboard. He lifted it up, his way of asking if River wanted one too, and he simply shook his head, standing up from the couch, also.

 

As he walked up to stand on the opposite side of the bench, his tone grew serious. “Look, I’m sure you know more than anyone else that this situation has been nothing but one great big train wreck…” he began, causing Neamhni to pause in his movements. “So I’m not going to go all officer on you regarding that. But as your friend, my two cents are this…”

River placed his hands down on the bench, Neamhni giving him his full attention. “Considering the amount of time you spent around him, you probably know him a lot better than the rest of us. And regardless of what happened - what I’ve seen of him since then, and what I heard from Gum makes him seem pretty genuine, at least.” Not to mention the fact that he did save Neamhni’s life. “So as long as you’re sure of what you’re doing, I trust your judgment.”

 

Neamhni nodded, a small smile slipping onto his face. “Thanks, River.”

 

-

 

As Gray had known for quite some time, Jenna could be pretty switched on when she wanted to be, and today just had to be one of those days. She’d been grinning at him ever since she caught him daydreaming, and eventually he’d relented and shared some very vague information.

 

“I knew it,” she said, still grinning as she punched his good arm.

 

Gray lifted his arm a little too late to avoid it, and then tried to punch her back, but she had scooted away from his swinging range easily. “Yeah, yeah, what about that guy you were seeing, the huntsman? Or did you actually take my advice for once?” He had taken the first opportunity to throw the focus away from him and Neamhni, glad that he had some of his own ammo.

 

Jenna looked surprised that he had mentioned it, and she turned to scratch the side of her head, remembering the words that Gray had said to her a couple of months ago. _“Take it from someone who has experience, Jen_ _– don_ _’t get involved with a huntsman. It_ _’ll just end up being one great big mess for people like us._ _”_

“Oh, that’s uh…complicated,” she managed.

 

Jasper’s cheerful voice then sounded from behind them as he appeared once more, joining in on the conversation. “Didn’t look complicated last I saw,” he teased with a grin.

 

Jenna turned to glare at him, “Oh shut up, Jas, or do you want me to drag that new boyfriend of yours - Mr cool and stoic?” She proceeded to do an impression of the face she always happened to see him making, which Jasper scowled at.

 

As the two smallest members of the Hellhounds began to banter back and forth, Gray stood from the couch and wandered into the kitchen. It took him a moment or two to notice a few of the small changes, but when he did, he realised it had Jenna’s name written all over it. While Jas had done some of the bigger things like wash his dishes and clothes, he knew Jenna liked to be subtler about things, and thus when he noticed a few things had been altered slightly to ensure they could be used with one hand, he smiled slightly. At least his pride could still be somewhat intact, now.

 

-

 

“Did I hear you might have a lead on Nihil?” Neamhni asked, walking over to sit on the couch beside Gray, handing him an open bottle of beer.

 

“Maybe,” he replied, not paying any attention to the news report that was playing on the TV. “His last few kills have all been in pretty much the same area, so we’re thinking his aura must be a little depleted so he can’t move very far with his semblance. I don’t know a huge amount about it, but I do recall hearing that it takes more effort from him to travel longer distances. Not to mention the fact that he can’t really get far with any usual means of transportation considering he’s a highly wanted criminal.”

 

“So his kills are turning out to be like breadcrumbs?” Neamhni asked.

 

Gray nodded, “Exactly. If I’m lucky they might let me come along when they finally take him down.”

 

Neamhni looked offended, “They’ve got to at least wait for me to get back before they go after him, I want in on the action, too!”

 

Gray let out a huff of a laugh, turning to Neamhni. “I’m sure you do,” he said. He then glanced down to the man’s abdomen, his thought having prompted another. “How are you feeling?”

 

Neamhni looked down, even though there was nothing to see. “Pretty good,” he said with a nod. “As long as I remember not to try and pick up anything heavy,” he joked.

 

Gray was smiling at him, now. “Well you’ve done pretty well so far.”

 

Nodding, Neamhni smiled back at him, content as they sat on the couch, the TV playing quietly in the background. It was casual, relaxed, and comfortable. He was grateful that they no longer had Shade and the Alliance hanging over their heads, and he could fully enjoy moments like these.

 

He then noticed Gray’s gaze drop just as it had a couple of nights ago, and a knowing smile broke out onto his own face.

 

Gray’s gaze flicked back up to those dark eyes, “Can I…”

 

He hadn’t even finished his sentence and Neamhni knew what he wanted, so he leant forwards to give him a kiss. Gray was happy with the interruption; closing his eyes the minute Neamhni had invaded his personal space. It only lasted for a moment, but when he pulled back, Neamhni stayed within breathing distance. “Is that what you wanted?” he asked.

 

Gray nodded, before his eyes looked at something over the man’s shoulder. “Actually, I’ve been thinking…” he began, somewhat uncertainly.

 

Neamhni quirked a curious eyebrow, “Oh?”

 

Gray hesitated for just a moment, before forcing himself to look back at Neamhni again. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt uncertain – all of the obvious signs were there. They’d always been there.

 

“Would you, maybe, want to try this all again?” he asked. “Properly, this time?”

 

It took only a moment for Neamhni to understand what he meant, and it made him feel incredibly warm. It was the same kind of warmth he’d felt waking up that morning when Gray’s arm had been sitting on his waist. His smile was wide and bright, “Yeah,” he said, “I’d like that.”


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys in my rush to catch up I somehow missed the actual chapter 36! My Apologies, please go back and read the correct 36 before continuing. Sorry for any confusion~

Gray looked in the mirror, noting the ridiculous amount of facial hair he had today. Then, he looked down at the basin, where his old razor had been so kindly replaced with a new one. It was a lovely gesture on Nigel’s part – the old one was so blunt it had given him quite a few cuts last time he had shaved – only there was just one problem.

 

This one was still in its package, made of that thick, stiff plastic with a cardboard backing. It was usually fun enough trying to cut the damn thing out with two hands, let alone one.

 

If he were staying at home all day he’d wait til one of the Hellhounds visited again and discreetly ask them to open it, but as it was he was due to arrive at the station in just over an hour, and all of the Hellhounds were busy doing their own thing, today. He wasn’t going to show up looking this scruffy or they might change their minds about being lenient with him – Gray certainly looked a lot more like a criminal when he had facial hair.

 

He knew that thought was silly, but the point was he had made up his mind and he was going to shave before leaving today – he just had to get the razor out of its packet. So, he ventured out into the kitchen to find himself a pair of scissors.

 

When he had procured a pair, he was walking back towards the bathroom when his sling caught on the handle of the linen closet. He’d been walking at a brisk pace across the tiles, so it had been a surprise to find himself being halted, and hearing the sound of the material ripping. It had pulled on his shoulder a bit, but thankfully it was far enough in the healing process that it didn’t hurt. He stopped and tried to step backwards to pull the sling off of the handle, but apparently it wasn’t going to be that easy.

 

He let out an annoyed sigh, and would have just reached over with his left hand to free it, but he was still holding onto the scissors. _I can_ _’t wait to get this bloody thing off,_ he thought as he decided to put the scissors between his teeth.

 

He felt like an idiot, standing there snagged on the door handle, scissors in his mouth as he tried to figure out how he’d gotten stuck. Pulling on the sling only made it rip further, but it wasn’t freeing him.

 

His words were muffled as he spoke through his teeth that were clamped down on the scissors. “How the fuck did this manage to-”

 

“Are you right there?”

 

Gray paused, and turned towards the familiar voice, to see Neamhni walking into the apartment, an amused look on his face. Well, if he felt like an idiot before when there were no eyes on him, now it had just doubled.

 

He didn’t see any point in denying the obvious. “Not exactly,” was his muffled reply, before he pulled the scissors out of his mouth. He wasn’t going to say that he was stuck out loud, but it was obvious enough.

 

Neamhni chuckled as he walked over, “Do you need some help?”

 

Gray just chewed on the inside of his lip and looked elsewhere. It was the closest look to a pout that Neamhni had ever seen him make, and he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t incredibly endearing. He stopped in front of Gray, who was now holding the scissors by his side, refusing to look at him.

 

“Gray,” Neamhni said, trying to coax those silver eyes back to him. He wasn’t going to let the man get out of this one so easily. After all, his pride could come down just a notch in his opinion. When the man didn’t reply or even look at him, Neamhni raised his hand, his index finger guiding Gray’s chin in the right direction. Reluctantly, that gaze finally met his. He didn’t look very happy.

 

“Do you need help?” he asked again, an amused smile still on his face. Now Gray was _definitely_ pouting, and while it didn’t compete with Jasper’s master pout, it did almost make him give in.

 

Instead of answering the question, Gray raised the scissors he was holding to point them at Neamhni’s face, “You do not utter a word about this.”

 

That smile was still on his face, “My lips are sealed.”

 

Gray hated that smile. Neamhni had always had a charm about him that was bright and vibrant when he was happy – a stunning contrast to when he was grumpy – and the mood always seemed to sink into Gray rather than bounce off like with others he had met. So really, that first statement had been a lie, or rather, phrased incorrectly. He didn’t hate that smile, he hated what it did to him.

 

So, he eventually gave in, averting his gaze again as he mumbled, “Yes, I need help.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Neamhni raise an eyebrow, prompting him to add, “Please.”

 

That smile grew brighter – could you believe it was possible? – and Neamhni held his hand out to grab the scissors. Once Gray handed them over, Neamhni placed them over on the kitchen bench, before returning to free him from the door handle.

 

“How the heck did you manage this?” he asked as he decided to just rip the whole thing off.

 

Gray rolled his eyes, “Don’t you think if I knew that I would have been able to get unhooked myself?” he shot back. The sling was now useless, as Gray held his arm up by his own will rather than letting it drop to his side, and Neamhni pulled the remains of it off his shoulder.

 

“Come on, let’s get you another,” he said with a smile, before pausing to press his lips to Gray’s cheek for a short moment. It was the sort of affection they had never shared before, but it was a welcome improvement, and Gray let the smallest smile slip onto his face as he followed Neamhni back into the bathroom. Aside from the problems he had encountered with this damn sling, he could definitely get used to this.

 

It was as he let Neamhni tie him a new sling that he began to think about how much more comfortable they were now. A week ago, he’d still been feeling incredibly guilty about everything that happened, but ever since their chat on the couch, those feelings had left him. He hadn’t realized how much three words could affect him until then. 

_The way that Gray_ _’s expression changed wasn_ _’t subtle. His eyebrows rose, eyes lighting up in what appeared to be surprise, and his lips parted ever so slightly. Had he not been expecting that answer?_

_He stared at Neamhni for a moment before he could manage to speak._ _“Really?_ _” he asked._

_Neamhni tilted his head slightly, confused eyes searching for answers in Gray_ _’s face._ _“Why are you so surprised?_ _” he asked, a small smile tugging at his lips._

_It Gray a moment to find the right words._ _“I just-I mean, after everything I did_ _… I betrayed you. I knew how much you trusted me and I took advantage of it. You and your team suffered because of me. I thought asking that would be too much._ _”_

_Neamhni nodded as Gray_ _’s short sentence turned into a long one, letting him finish before responding._ _“Why_ _’d you do that, though?_ _” he asked._

_What a stupid question, Neamhni knew the answer to that already._ _“Because I was a coward,_ _” he said flatly._

_Even when Gray had repeated the wrongs he had done against Neamhni, the man hadn_ _’t seemed to care._ _“You didn_ _’t have a choice. I understand that now._ _” It had taken another disbelieving look for Neamhni to place his hands on Gray_ _’s shoulders and look him in the eye._ _“Gray, you_ _’re forgiven. I forgive you._ _”_

 

_I forgive you._

The words floated through Gray’s head as Neamhni finished with the sling. He never thought he would deserve a second chance, but he supposed that was one of the quirks of dating a huntsman. He’d always thought they were too righteous and forgiving, but now he could only be glad for those traits.

 

He couldn’t wait to see what they would do next. 

_Four months later_ _…_

 

The alley was dark - overhead streetlights having long burnt out and never replaced - so the only light Gray had to guide him was the moon’s illumination above. It was a clear night, and a little chilly, but his trusty old jacket – all bloody handprints removed – was enough to keep the breeze off his skin.

 

Having walked these narrow passes before, it didn’t take long for him to find the man he was after, a shadow of a person leaning against the wall just up ahead. There weren’t any physical features he could point out through the dim light, but he was knowledgeable enough to know that this was the person he needed to see.

 

Gray stopped a couple of metres away from the man. As the faunus had suspected, the shadow hadn’t moved or acknowledged his presence at all - he wasn’t supposed to. Not unless…

 

“Moon’s bright tonight,” Gray said in a way of greeting.  

 

A head turned, and finally dark eyes looked to him in interest. “Indeed, it is,” were the first words he spoke, as expected. After getting a good look at his visitor, the shadow looked surprised for a moment. Then, a small grin appeared on his face.

 

“Wow, Buralo. Haven’t seen you ‘round here in a while,” he commented. The voice was familiar, if not a bit rougher than Gray remembered.

 

Gray shrugged a shoulder, “Got a bit caught up in Shade’s nonsense. Have you got what I’m after?”

 

The man pushed off the wall, “Only if you’ve got the means to pay for it.”

 

Gray quirked an eyebrow, “Who do you think you’re talking to?”

 

The man raised his hands into the air, “Hey, word on the street is that you’re no longer in the business, which means you’re either broke or can’t be trusted.”

 

A dry chuckle left Gray’s lips, before he reached into his jacket and pulled out a wad of cash. “Does this look like broke to you?” he asked. He saw the man’s eyes light up. “I just have better ways of getting money nowadays.” 

 

The man nodded, “I see. Well,” he reached a hand out to take the money, but Gray pulled his hand back.

 

“I’m not an idiot,” Gray’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, “Show me that you’ve got it first, then I’ll give you the money.”

 

The roll of eyes was not missed by Gray as the man reached into his own coat, “Of course. Though you know I’ve never done you wrong,” he pointed out.

 

Gray nodded. _Yes, but things change,_ he thought _._ Once silver eyes landed on what he was after, a smile graced the faunus’ lips.

 

“Perfect,” he said, throwing the wad of cash through the air for the man to catch. “Oh and by the way, you were right.”

 

As the man fumbled with the cash, he gave Gray a perplexed look, “Huh?”

 

That smile was now one of Gray’s famous smug grins, “I shouldn’t be trusted.”

 

In the next moment, the man was knocked to the ground by a blow to the back, the air leaving his lungs. He let out a grunt as he hit the bitumen, everything he’d been holding tumbling to the ground in front of him.

 

“What the fu-“

 

“Shut up Matthews,” Tarragon demanded, her foot pressing into his back. “You’re under arrest.”

 

As the man began shouting profanities and tried to struggle away from her, Gray’s attention turned to the sound of a scuffle around the corner. He soon saw Neamhni appearing, dragging another man behind him, who had an almighty bruise on his cheek and appeared unconscious.

 

“You were right Gray, he did have ‘backup’ - if it could be called that,” he said, tossing the other man down beside Matthews. Tarragon was listing the man’s offences as River appeared behind Neamhni, looking somewhat annoyed that he’d missed out on the fun. Still, he dropped the sour look on his face for long enough to give a compliment.

 

“Nice work, Gray,” he said with a quick smile. The man nodded in return, and then a voice was speaking through their communicators.

 

 _“There were another two waiting on the eastern corner,_ _”_ Gum said, _“I_ _’ll bring them over._ _”_

Neamhni shook his head, turning back to Matthews. The sarcasm in his voice was obvious, “Some backup.”

 

Now in handcuffs, the man looked like he was about to blow a gasket. He began to spew all kinds of information from his mouth – about the dodgy dealings Gray had been involved in in the past, the people he had killed – everything he could think of. His voice echoed off of the walls beside them, but he was ignored. No matter what he said, none of it had any merit, and nobody seemed to care. This only made him angrier.

 

Matthews finally turned wide, confused eyes back to Gray, just as the faunus leaned down to whisper in the man’s ear. The urge to set him off was just too tempting.  “See that’s where you and I differ,” he murmured. “I knew how not to get caught.”

 

Matthews drew his lips back in what looked like a snarl, “You cock-sucking son of a- “

 

A snort sounded from Gray as he stood up straight again, “Please, that’s not an insult.” He cast a quick glance over to Neamhni, who turned away, his ears no doubt slowly turning a dark shade of red.

 

Gray hid a chuckle behind his hand as Matthews was pulled to his feet. “You know, Gray,” Tarragon said, giving the handcuffed man a shove. “I’ll admit, your help is a lot more valuable than I originally thought. Thanks.”

 

He wasn’t helping out just because he had to, either. Gray wasn’t an official Huntsman by any means, or could be considered part of Special Unit RGNT, but he had his own place, now. He had his freedom back, and was allowed to join in on any of RGNT’s missions where he could be seen as useful. They considered his transition to be a convenient loop hole in the system.

 

Gray had an easy smile on his face as they turned to head back to the station, “Eh, you guys aren’t so bad either.”

 

 


	38. Chapter 38

_“Gray!_ _”_

 

_The voice was filled with rage. Of crippling betrayal and disbelief. In all of his years with the Hellhounds, he_ _’d never heard anything quite like it. It wasn_ _’t just angry, it was livid. It was a demand for answers, for a confirmation that the wolf faunus had lured his prey into the den and ripped his claws through them the minute they felt safe. He let his fringe hang over his eyes as Neamhni_ _’s harsh gaze sliced into his side._

_He could feel those eyes on him like a white-hot light threatening to burn layer after layer of his skin off. They were demanding for him to look at Neamhni, to face the man that he had lead straight into an ambush, but he couldn_ _’t._

_He was a coward. He was a dirty rotten coward, ruled by fear._

_Fear of losing his family, fear of breaking his promise, fear of what he would see in those eyes if he spared so much as a glance in that direction._

_He didn_ _’t need to look though, he already knew what he would see, and even without facing it head on he could feel the tendrils of dread latching onto his chest and constricting. All he could do was remind himself to breathe_ _– it would be over soon._

_In the next moment, he_ _’d heard the sound of Teres shoving Neamhni_ _’s head into the cement for his outburst, and Gray had turned his head before he could think to stop himself. Having already lost that battle, all he could do was keep his eyes on Teres, trying to keep a neutral expression. Neamhni probably wouldn_ _’t pick it, but he knew his boys would. They_ _’d be able to tell half his thoughts with one look._

_Gray turned back to look at the wall on the other side of the warehouse, and Teres let Neamhni go. Shade must have been loving this, he thought bitterly. Just hurry up already._

_“I_ _’m sorry to break this to you my rabbit friend,_ _” Shade began, a happy little grin on his face,_ _“But your ambush was an ambush._ _”_

_Those eyes snapped back to him then, burning with all kinds of fury. Gray pitied the thugs who had met that fury in the past._ _“I trusted you!_ _”_

_Gray_ _’s hand was a fist where it sat inside the pocket of his jacket. He could feel the weight of his dread threatening to pull him down through the floor._ I know, _he thought sadly,_ I know you did.

 

_He knew those eyes would stay on him until he made some sort of response, so he kept his gaze glued to the opposite wall as he forced out a sentence._ _“That was silly._ _” ­_

The feeling of being dragged from his dream was a damn unpleasant one. One moment he’d been standing in warehouse seventeen trying to avoid Neamhni’s murderous gaze, the next he was lying in bed, staring wide eyed at the ceiling. He became aware of the sweat on his forehead, the rapid pounding of his heart. Surely his mind was trying to torture him by bringing back these memories. Gray grabbed onto the pillow to try and curl around it, knowing that holding onto something always helped him calm down.

 

When he opened his eyes again, he spotted the clock on the wall that was always ticking, and suddenly realized he was in Neamhni’s apartment. The man himself was sprawled across the sheets on the other side of the bed, sleeping soundly. The same man who had agreed to being in an actual relationship with him a few months ago.

 

In the next instant, Gray was rolling over to wrap an arm over Neamhni’s waist, holding the faunus to him as his pulse gradually slowed down. This was much more effective than a pillow.

 

This seemed to rouse the hare faunus from his sleep, and the hair at the back of his neck tickled Gray’s nose as he shifted. “Gray?” came the quiet mumble.

 

“Sorry,” he whispered into the man’s neck response. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

 

Neamhni turned his head then, and once he caught sight of Gray curled up behind him, he rolled over to face the man. “You okay?”

 

Now lying against the pillows face-to-face, Gray could see the concern on his face. “I’ve been better,” he admitted. A scarred hand then reached up to sit against his bare chest, where his pulse was still beating strong. Back on his balcony when Neamhni had reached out to him, asking if his ribs still hurt, Gray had stopped him, not wanting the man to feel how his body reacted to him. Now though, Gray let him.

 

“Nightmare?” he asked.

 

Instead of answering directly, Gray brought up the very thing he had been dreaming about, ducking his gaze to the side. “The ambush.”

 

Neamhni could remember it very well. Warehouse seventeen, the Tenebris brothers capturing him, Gray barely looking at him. Neamhni pulled Gray towards him so he could wrap his arms around the man silently.

 

Gray closed his eyes. “You know that I- “

 

“I know,” Neamhni spoke into his shoulder. “And you know that I forgive you.”

 

Gray took in a deep breath, still holding onto Neamhni as their legs tangled together under the sheets. “Even if you have,” he murmured finally. “It’s going to take a little longer for me to forgive myself.”

 

-

 

“Gray.”

 

It wasn’t as much the voice that woke him, but more the soft breath landing on his ear in a tickle. It was the quietest of murmurs, but after fighting through the last fog of sleep, it registered to him, and he managed a small grunt in response.

 

The familiar voice hummed a quiet chuckle, not wanting to leave him be. A hand that no doubt belonged to Neamhni was tracing small circles on his back, and Gray could feel the man’s breath at the back of his neck. He did happen to be annoyingly - albeit adorably - affectionate in the mornings.

 

Gray managed another grunt, before curling around his pillow more, not wanting to face the day just yet. Neamhni only followed him though, ceasing his tracing to throw his arm right over the wolf faunus as he leaned in towards his ear again.

 

“Come on, Gray,” he murmured, an amused smile on his face. “You said you’d run with me this morning.”

 

There was a moment of silence before there was a response. Gray shifted his head slightly in Neamhni’s direction, but didn’t open his eyes. “Did I?” he murmured, feigning ignorance, his morning voice deep and rough.

 

Neamhni’s hand moved up to comb through Gray’s fringe. “You most certainly did.”

 

Although the attention was certainly not unwanted, getting up was the last thing Gray wanted to do right now. “That’s ridiculous,” he murmured back, “Why would I do that?”

 

“Oh, I dunno…” Neamhni said, a small smirk on his lips as he moved his hand from Gray’s fringe down to his waist. “I seem to recall someone saying they wanted to get rid of their beer gut.” He emphasized his words by pinching Gray’s belly, which caught the man by surprise.

 

The noise that Gray made could be described to sound a lot like a deep “Gyah!” as he jumped, before quickly rolling over to face the huntsman, sending the man a glare.

 

Neamhni was grinning at him with that stupid spark in his eyes that Gray loved. “Awake now?”

 

-

 

It had been just as the pair had returned after their successful run that Neamhni’s scroll started buzzing with a call. Gray had been fumbling with the keys he had been thrown to unlock the door to the apartment when he heard the shock in the huntsman’s voice as he answered.

 

“River, what’s u-” He’d been cut short by a sudden outburst on the other end.

 

_“We_ _’ve found him Nea, we_ _’ve found him!_ _”_

“What?!”

 

The next half hour had been filled with them scrambling around for their gear and getting their asses down to the station as River had demanded. What had started as a casual, relaxed morning was now a hectic, exciting one.

 

Neamhni had gotten last minute calls like this before, where they had been pursuing a criminal and finally had their moment to strike. As similar as this was to those other times, though – the history behind this one made it feel completely different, and a little more nerve-wracking. It was just as they were walking out of the station that Neamhni glanced at Gray, and saw him rolling his shoulder. There was a lot that Nihil had to answer for, and if today went well, they would get the satisfaction to make up for all the pain he’d caused in the past.

 

And that was how they found themselves charging up to an abandoned compound in West Vale on their day off, weapons loaded and adrenaline pumping through their veins. This was vastly different to what Neamhni had expected – in his head he had pictured some dark alley in the dead of night, his team and Gray chasing Nihil down until he was cornered and exhausted, when they finally took him down.

 

Instead it was broad daylight and they’d gotten a report from a truck driver that he’d seen suspicious activity going on around the area, before confirming he’d seen none other than the person they were looking for hanging around the compound.

 

The Hellhounds, of course, had wanted to help. This was a bit difficult for RGNT when they already had one extra helper who wasn’t technically on the books, but they had agreed that the faunus could hang around nearby as extra eyes and ears and would be called in to help if it were absolutely necessary (it would save on paperwork if they didn’t have to recruit any other teams from the station, after all).

 

It became evident very quickly that it wasn’t going to be like a pack of wolves chasing down their prey, however. The feeling that team RGNT and their ex-SVGN helper got from the minute they moved past the gates reminded Neamhni a lot of warehouse seventeen. Like this wasn’t a last resort hiding place, but rather a carefully chosen, planned attack point.

 

The main giveaway for that was when River’s boot caught on something after they walked into the compound, causing a loud screech to sound as the gates closed behind them.

 

It made two things painfully obvious. One: From how loud the gate was, Nihil no doubt knew they were here now. Two: He had been very much expecting them. 


	39. Chapter 39

“So much for having the element of surprise,” Gum commented just after the gate closed, the sound echoing through the compound.

 

River reached for his weapon, “Well if we haven’t got that then we’ll have to move fast,” he said as they advanced forward. “I reckon the large building straight ahead is our best bet. Any objections?”

 

Neamhni was about to reply as he pulled the cigarette from between his lips, but he was shocked when he heard the sound of a gunshot, coinciding with the cigarette being forcefully pulled from his fingers.

 

Somebody had just shot the smoke right from his hand with perfect precision. He didn’t even have time to wonder if it had been a warning shot or if it had missed its real target, because River was then shouting at them.

 

“Take cover!”

 

It was just as they all dived behind a shipping container that a wave of bullets swept over the area around them. There was no way this was just Nihil, there had to be several people firing at them. What was going on?

 

“How many of them are there?” Tarragon asked over the sound of bullets ricocheting off of the container.

 

River closed his eyes for a moment, “I can’t tell, anywhere between five and ten probably.”

 

“How much ammo do you reckon they have?” Gray asked, wondering if they could wait it out until they needed to reload.

 

“Enough to keep us where they want before striking,” Neamhni said. “We can’t afford to sit and wait.” He held Umbra tight in his grasp, and in a daring move, quickly looked out from the side of the container when he heard a break in one line of fire. Before he’d been able to shoot anything though, he’d had to dive back, a bullet skimming his arm. 

 

Neamhni grunted and looked down where his shirt had been torn, and saw a small speck of blood. He was losing his patience pretty quickly. “There’s too many of them,” he ground out through his teeth.

 

“God, and you call me reckless,” Gray commented, narrowing his eyes at the graze.

 

“What do we do?” Tarragon asked while River was deep in thought. “We can’t stay here.”

 

Gum looked over at her team mate, “Neamhni, how do you reckon Spectre would go out here?”

 

The man looked up, “Pretty useless, the sun is right above us. I don’t have enough of a shadow.”

 

Gray’s eyes then looked up to the line of trees that surrounded the compound, even though he couldn’t see what he was looking for. “Nige,” he said through his communicator. “We’re under fire, can you see any of the shooters?”

 

Nigel was sprawled across a tree branch, feeling very much in his element as he looked down the scope of his rifle. “I’ve been trying to figure out where they’re hiding. Best bet would probably be that red brick building to the west of your position. Could you hit em’ with a shockwave?”

 

Gray couldn’t see it now, but he remembered spotting the building when they walked in. It had some high windows at the top where they could likely be hiding, but it would only be a guess. “I need to know for sure that they’re there, I’m not using it for nothing.”

 

 _“I_ _’m too far away to tell. We need someone to take a closer look,_ _”_ Nigel suggested through the ear piece.

 

 _“I_ _’ll do it!_ _”_ Jasper’s voice chirped through the comms, but Nigel quickly shut him down.

 

 _“No Jas, your red hair will stand out ridiculously in the trees, stay where you are._ _”_ He was stationed by the road to notify them if anyone were headed towards the compound, but it was obvious he wanted in on the action.

“Where are the boys?” Gray asked.

 

 _“We_ _’re on the eastern side,_ _”_ Unum said, _“But it looks like there_ _’s movement from back here, too. You_ _’re about to have more company._ _”_

Just as Nigel and Gray both cursed simultaneously, Jenna’s breathy voice sounded through the communicator, as if she had just been running. _“I see them._ _”_ She’d been positioned on the western side of the compound, but she hadn’t been anywhere near them-

 

_“Top floor of the brick building. Nige, aim for the last two windows, I guarantee you_ _’ll hit at least one of them._ _”_

 

Not even taking a moment to scold Jenna for possibly getting herself caught by the shooters, Nige lined up the shot to one of the windows. “I’m taking it.”

 

 _“Go for it!_ _”_ Was River’s response through the comms, and so Nigel grinned, and pulled the trigger.

 

As soon as a shot from the sniper rifle sounded in their ears, they knew Nigel had gotten one of them. Neamhni and River shared a quick glance before they jumped up and loaded dust rounds into their weapons, as another shot was heard.

 

 _“Damn it! The others moved, I only got two of them,_ _”_ Nigel said, sounding apologetic.

 

“That’s all we needed!” River replied, because now their enemy were two shooters down, _and_ they’d been caught by surprise, which gave him and Neamhni the perfect opening.

The two men jumped out from either side of the container and fired their dust rounds, causing several of the windows to shatter as they exploded. 

 

 _“_ _Guys you_ _’_ _ve got half a dozen coming from the eastern side!_ _”_ Duos announced through the comms.

 

Neamhni and River quickly looked back to the rest of their team for a moment, but Gum waved them off. “You two close in on the remaining shooters, I have an idea for these guys.”

 

River nodded, “Meet you inside?”

 

“Deal!” Tarragon said, before the team split up. River and Neamhni took off towards the brick building, where the remaining shooters had taken cover, while Gum, Gray and Tarragon headed the other way.

 

It was as they were running that Gum glanced to Gray, “How loud do you yell when you use your shockwave?”

 

Gray looked a little confused, but responded none the less as they stopped behind another shipping container. “However loud I want to.”

 

Gum was grinning, then. “Excellent, this’ll be easy.”

 

They only had a few moments before their new enemies were on them, but it was just enough time for Gum to explain her plan to Gray and Tarragon. Upon hearing it, they instantly lit up with eager grins, keen to set it in motion. So long as the group stayed together, they should be able to get them all in one hit.

 

Tarragon snuck a glance out from behind the container, and when she saw the group approaching, used her pheromones to trick them into going straight past. She held up a few fingers to signal to the other two.

 

_3_ _…2_ _…1_ _…Now!_

 

Gray was grinning as he charged out from behind the container, and the minute he set his eyes on the group, he knew they would be victorious. He planted his foot solid on the ground, swung his fist down to the concrete and let loose a yell that would make birds scatter from trees, as his shockwave erupted up through the air. 

 

Not a second later, Gum had been behind him, her spider web soundwaves blasting out along with it. The two combined forces swept right up to the group, catching them by surprise, and they barely had time to react before they were overwhelmed and completely wiped out.

 

“Excellent work, you two,” Tarragon praised as she joined them, looking around to make sure they were out of enemies for the time being.

 

It appeared that the area was silent save for the shooting in the distance from the ruckus that River and Nea were causing, so they took a moment’s pause to think through what to do next.

 

“That group came from the eastern side of the building, either they were holed around there waiting for us or there’s another entrance,” Gum said as Tarragon joined her and Gray.

 

Gray nodded, as they turned to start heading around the side of the main building, “There has to be plenty more ways to get in.”

 

Tarragon nodded in agreement, and as they set off, a thought that had been plaguing all of their minds since they entered the complex was brought to light.

 

“So who the hell are all these people and why are they helping Nihil?”

 

-

 

River skidded around the corner and in through the back door of the brick building, firing off more rounds of explosive dust at the group that were trying to flee in front of him. Neamhni had been following on foot behind him, and caught up moments later, shooting out the light fittings above them to slow the group down as glass showered down over them. A few shots were fired in their direction, and River easily slid out of the way while Neamhni ducked.

 

Thinking quickly, Nea noticed one of the beams in the rafters had come loose, and so he shot at it, as the dust exploded above them and the beam crashed down on top of some of the shooters. River had then fired several rounds of ice dust out at the group, until they’d all come to a complete halt.

 

The pair grinned at each other as they walked over, and a few curses were thrown in their direction.

 

“You son of a bitch!”

 

River shook his head, “My mother is a lovely woman, thank you.”

 

Neamhni stopped in front of one of them, who was currently lying underneath the beam, “Now would you care to enlighten us as to what the hell is going on here?”

 

Before the man could bother to spit a retort, there was a loud crack from above them. River and Neamhni looked up.

 

Apparently, the beam that Nea had shot down was the support beam for many others, and they were all about to crash down on top of them.

 

“Ah shit,” River said, just as two beams crashed down by the door. “There goes our way out.”

 

Thinking quickly, Neamhni turned and shot at the window that was several metres above them, “River!”

 

The man responded instantly, turning for the window, “Got it!”

 

They both began to run as more beams crashed down, and River’s weapon changed modes. He and Neamhni then grabbed hold of each other’s wrists, and River shot his harpoon up through the window.

 

As the second level of the building completely gave way, the two huntsmen were swinging out through the window, the harpoon having sunk into the neighboring building. They hung in the air for a moment, as Neamhni grumbled about not getting any answers, before River let them down, and they landed safely on the ground.

 

“Next time,” he said to the faunus, “Warn me before you bring the roof down on top of us, yeah?”

 

Neamhni chuckled and nodded, “Sounds fair. Let’s head for the main building.”

 

Having similar thoughts to their comrades, they didn’t want to head for the main entrance, so they tried heading around the western side of the building.

 

 _“Neamhni, River, you guys good? It sounded like half a building just collapsed,_ _”_ Nigel’s voice came through the comms.

 

“Yeah, we’re all good,” River replied, “We’re heading for the main warehouse now, on the west side.”

 

Neamhni glanced over to the outskirts of the compound, “Jen, can you see any movement?”

 

 _“Looks pretty quiet to me,_ _”_ she said, _“Too quiet, actually._ _”_

“Think there’s an ambush waiting for us?” River asked, lifting Stail Abhainn to prepare.

 

Neamhni shared a look with him as Umbra changed modes, opening out to its final form. “Most likely.”

 

They both knew they were remembering the day back at warehouse seventeen. It wasn’t the most pleasant of memories, but this was different, and Neamhni could feel it in the adrenaline pumping through his veins. They was ready for whatever Nihil had waiting for them. 

 

“We have the whole team, this time,” Nea said, stopping for a moment. He could remember how guilty he’d felt last time, but it no longer bothered him. He’d had enough time to get over it and move forward. “And Gray, too.”

 

River nodded, and Neamhni knew that any previous doubts about the man were gone. Gray had proven many times now that he was worthy of their trust, and that wasn’t going to waiver now. “Yeah,” he agreed, lifting his hand. “Let’s do this.”

 

Neamhni smiled, and lifted his hand also, slapping palms with River and hanging on for a moment. “After you, buddy.”

 

River turned to keep walking. “Stay on my right?” he asked, more out of habit than anything else.

 

“I always do.”


End file.
